100 Theme Challenge
by Master of all Perverts
Summary: Collection of short stories surrounding yyh characters and Inuyasha characters. I have 100 themes to write about, and each one will be a new chapter. Read, Review, and Enjoy!
1. Introduction

**Hello Everyone! This is the first installment of my 100 theme challenge. Please read and review! (Words: 894)**

**THEME 1: INTRODUCTION**

The first time he saw her, Kurama was rooted to the spot. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and being a 300 year old Kitsune with a demanding libido, he had seen many a pretty face. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain, and as pale as an American's. The woman's body was slender, and while she did not have the curviest form, it seemed unnecessary for such a creature to need it.

What caught his attention the most were her sapphire blue eyes. As piercing as any arrow, they seemed to analyze everything in sight in mere seconds before dismissing their surroundings as insignificant. And her laugh! He could hear all the way across the station platform, even with all the roaring from the trains and the loud murmur of the humans separating them. It was the purest sound he had ever heard; akin to how he imagined the goddess Inari must sound like.

Almost as if in a daydream, he staggered through the crowd to find the woman who had so easily ensnared his attention. As he came closer, he noticed with a detached mind that she was playfully ruffling a young boy's hair. He possessed the same raven hair as the woman, and so it was almost painfully obvious that they were siblings. It was then that he noticed something that which should have sent him running right then and there.

Crackling beneath the surface of her skin was a power that made the demon inside him pace anxiously. It was an energy he had been taught to avoid at an early age, with scars to prove its dangers.

"Miko." His voice came out as little more than a whisper, but at the sound her bright eyes snapped to attention, glaring into his emerald orbs.

"Souta, get behind me," the girl ordered, her beautiful voice lowering to a commanding growl. The boy quickly did as he was told, brow creased in confusion at the tone of his sisters voice.

Kurama cautiously continued his course, stopping only once he reached the edge of the pink energy surrounding the siblings. He noticed with interest the way her hands balled into fist and how her ki gathered at the appendages.

"Who are you?"

"I am Kurama. Youko Kurama, King of Thieves," he murmured, holding his hands up to show they were empty of any threat.

The girl quirked her head at that, curiosity gleaming in her sapphire eyes. "I've heard of you," she said. Her hands perched upon her hips, but still the dangerous energy remained. "You're supposed to be dead."

"That is what I wished others to think." He grinned, relaxing his stance as much as possible. There was no way he was going to get his ass fried because he stood too threateningly before a miko. His teammates would get too much of a kick from such a careless mistake, and Youko was not one to be ridiculed.

"Then what are you doing here, in Ningenkai?" she demanded, eyes narrowing. "Not causing trouble, I hope."

The kitsune shook his head, red tendrils of hair cascading down his shoulders. "I wish only to live here in peace. I am known as Suichi Minamino, the son of a widow who happens to have a talent with plants."

"Not to sound rude, but why come near me?" the girl questioned. "You're obviously strong enough to be famous in Makai, so you can't be stupid, either. You can feel my miko, can't you?"

Kurama chuckled, placing his hands casually in his pants pockets. "I can feel your energy, yes. I would also not pass up the chance to meet a beautiful, obviously talented miko."

The boy behind her scrunched up his nose as if he had smelled bad fish, and chirped, "Sis, I think he's hitting on you."

"I _know_ that, squirt," she hissed, elbowing her brother none too gently in the side. The kitsune was amused to find a blush quickly spreading across her pale skin. It was rather adorable that a girl her age still blushed at simple flattery. "Excuse my brother; he can be painfully blunt at moments..."

"I came over to ask you both to accompany me to Baskin Robins for ice cream," Kurama said smoothly. He couldn't help but smirk as she blinked in surprise, her embarrassment quickly replaced with curiosity. This girl was definitely entertaining and worth looking into. "You can order whatever you like, my treat."

Souta let out a whoop at the offer, dancing around his sister's sides. "Come on, sis! We could get cherry slushies!"

The girl hesitated, nervously playing with her hands behind her back. "I don't know...We're strangers, really..."

"What is your name?" he questioned, gently holding out his hand to her. He did not even flinch as her aura temporarily flared, before settling as she realized he was merely trying to take her hand.

"...Kagome. Kagome Higurashi."

As she timidly grasped his hand, he brought the slim appendage to his lips. "And now we are no longer strangers." The kitsune let loose his most charming smile, smugly noticing the way her lips parted in surprise at the uncommon gesture. "Shall we?"

"...Come on Souta, looks like we're getting cherry slushies."


	2. Complicated

**(Words: 952) Read, Review, Enjoy!**

**THEME 2: COMPLICATED**

"Sis, he's _here_!" he little brothers voice echoed up the stairs, causing her to curse.

"Coming!" She took one last look in the mirror, adjusted her ponytail, and dashed down the stairs. Her feet thudded against the hardwood floor, and she winced as she realized it sounded like an elephant was trampling around the house. Turning the corner at the bottom o f the stairs, she skidded to a halt, blinking up at the red head who was currently chuckling to himself. "You're...uh, inside... SOUTA!"

"You're brother thought it would be polite to allow me inside," he grinned, placing his hand on her back. Taking a second look at the blush on her face, he added, "You look very beautiful this evening, Kagome."

"Shameless flatterer," she muttered, pulling him into a hug.

The kitsune rumbled deep in his chest, running his hands softly along the curve of her back. "Yes, but you know you love me like this."

"Kagome! Kurama kun!" They jumped apart at the loud voice, the intimacy of the moment gone as her mother poked her head over the corner. "Dinner's ready." Mrs. Higurashi's eyes twinkled knowingly at the couple, before disappearing back into the kitchen.

"C'mon," Kagome murmured. She gently tugged him into the kitchen, passing the stove covered with pots and pans, and into the dining room. The dining room was western style, with a tall mahogany table and matching chairs. The college student pulled out a chair for her, ignoring her blush, and nodded hello to her grandfather.

"How are you doing, Mr. Higurashi?"

"Good, good." The elderly man took a rather large bite of noodles, slurping them loudly as the red head sat down. "Business is slow, sadly. Young people these days don't appreciate what we monks do. Why, if it wasn't for my wards and sutra's, demons would be crawling around the city!" The young couple shared a look, and Kagome had to fight to control a giggle.

"Now grandpa, they don't want to talk about demons tonight," Mrs. Higurashi admonished, placing a steaming plate of fish on the table. "Please, eat Kurama kun."

"Thank you, Mrs. Higurashi."

Her mother sat down at the table, spooning a pile of rice into her bowl. "It's so nice t o finally meet you. Kagome has been talking about you nonstop..."

"Mama!" the teenage girl cried out in horror, dipping her head so that the boy next to her might not notice the blush on her face.

Souta, sitting across from her, shoved a piece of fish in his mouth. "But you do, sis!" Unfortunately for Kagome, even with the food in his mouth, he was clearly heard. "I mean, you even wrote his name all over your notebooks..!"

The girl sunk lower in her seat with a groan, covering her face with the palms of her hands. "I'm dead...I can't show my face in public ever again..." she said.

"Well, it's nothing as bad as other girls have done," Kurama chuckled. He deftly popped a mouthful of rice in his mouth, pressing his leg against hers comfortingly.

"I'm sure plenty of girl's have had their heart broken by you, Kurama kun," Mrs. Higurashi winked. "You're rather handsome."

"Mama!"

"Well, he is, dear. I may be old, but I know when a man looks good." The miko, if possible, slunk even lower in her chair.

Souta shifted in his chair, bringing their attention to the thirteen year old boy. "He's famous!" he said, voice muffled by the food in his mouth. The boy paused for a moment, swallowing some of his food, before clearing his throat. "Even at _my_ school we hear about him! All the girls have pictures of him in their book bag!"

Mrs. Higurashi blinked. "Well, that is something!"

"And a lot of them buy Valentines chocolate for him! I've even heard that...!"

His voice was cut off by a loud bang as the door to the kitchen burst open. Kurama stood abruptly, pulling a small seed from his hair. "Hey, wench! You said you were coming back tonight!" The voice came closer, and Kagome groaned upon seeing the silver pair of dog ears enter the room. "We've got a lead on a jewel shard...! Who the hell is this?"

The Inuyoukai stood in the entranceway in all his glory, clawed hands tucked into the sleeves of his fire rat robe. He sniffed in the direction of their guest, silver ears twitching. "Inuyasha, I told you to wait until I came back!" the girl reprimanded, standing up nervously. She had not told Kurama of her travels to the past yet, and this was not the best way to inform him. "You don't listen to a word I say, do you?"

"...I do believe introductions are in order, Kagome," the avatar said softly, his hand clenching around the small seed. His stance was relaxed, but Kagome knew that if he was threatened he would not hesitate to attack.

"Oi, who is this?"

"Kurama, this is Inuyasha...Inuyasha, this is Kurama, my _date!_"

The two men sized one another up, and Kagome could practically see the sparks between them. "He's nice, Inu-nii chan!" Souta exclaimed, for once without his mouth full. His brown eyes were unusually sharp, and she was surprised to realize her brother was smarter then he seemed. Inuyasha would listen to her brother, if only because they were both overprotective of her. "I like him."

"...Keh..."

"You didn't tell me you knew other demons, Kagome," the avatars soft voice intervened. His emerald eyes left the other males to focus on her, a quizzical tilt to his flawless face. "How many do you know?"

"Um...Kurama...There's something I haven't told you yet..."


	3. Making History

**THEME 3: MAKING HISTORY**

**(Words: 2,934)**

* * *

The priestess let loose a heavy sigh, slender fingers playing with the long strands of grass that fluttered in the breeze. She sat upon a small hill in front of an old, decrepit well covered with vines. Her thoughts wandered not to the sunny, cloudless day around her, but rather to the previous day, when a certain hanyou had burst in upon dinner. "_Such a mess he made!" _

It had taken the better part of two hours to explain to Kurama that she was not an ordinary senior in high school that worked at her family's shrine on the weekends. That she was actually a reincarnated priestess with unnaturally strong energy, who was born with the jewel of four souls in her side. _And_ that she had stumbled into an old well on her 15th birthday, only to accidentally shatter the jewel she was supposed to be protecting across feudal Japan. So, after all that, the kitsune had been astonished and asked millions of other questions that took _another_ hour to answer. "_Now I know what a hangover feels like."_

From the beginning she knew that Inuyasha and her would-be-love-interest did _not _like one another. She could tell by the obvious look the inuyoukai kept sending him, and the way Kurama paid him absolutely no attention whatsoever. He had looked at him, once, when she had explained how the hanyou was her protector in the feudal era. It hadn't been a look so much as a glare, which the dog demon returned full force.

"Men and their stupid over protectiveness..." she muttered, scowling down at the ground. It had taken her half an hour standing in front of the old well on her family's shrine to convince the red head that she was perfectly protected in the feudal era, and that she would definitely be back in a week, if there weren't any unforeseen problems. He had then demanded what had happened to forestall her coming home before, and she had sheepishly explained the multitudes of demon attacks by Naraku and the random kidnappings, which he did not take well. In the end, Kagome had to jump down the well with a quick farewell, to be sure that the kitsune did not try to prevent her from going.

And here she was, sitting near the lip of the portal between her two homes, wishing she could be with a certain red head who was probably still fuming about her sudden departure. The miko let out another sigh, flopping unceremoniously to the ground. Brilliantly green grass swayed before her eyes, lulling her tired mind into thinking of the warmth of the sun across her back and the beautiful aroma of spring.

"Kagooome!"

A ball of brown fur came tumbling at her, startling her from her relaxation. "Shippo?" She easily recognized the bright blue eyes that grinned down at her and reached up a hand to pat his head. "What are you doing up here?"

"Sango and Miroku told me you were sulking by the well," the child chirped, settling his small form in front of her. "I came to cheer you up!"

The teenage girl let out a small laugh, pushing herself into a sitting position. Her charge immediately took possession of her lap, his small tail tickling across the skin on her arm. "I'm not sulking, exactly," she said. She ran her hand through the long, silky smooth hair on the tip of his tail, grinning at the small purr that erupted from his chest at the motion. "I just wish things had gone better, is all. It wasn't the best way to tell Kurama about being a reincarnated priestess who travels 500 years in the past, now was it?"

"Mmm...I guess not."

"Now, why aren't you playing with the children in the village? I know they love it when you play with them."

"Oh! On my way here, Inubaka told me to tell you we're heading out tonight," the boy reiterated, his tiny forehead creased in thought. "There's a rumor of a jewel shard in the north, by the mountains. He wants to get there in two days, so we're leaving tonight to make up some time."

"I guess it's time to pack our things then, isn't it?"

* * *

"Thank you so very much! We will forever be in your dept!" The master of the house bowed low towards the floor, his wife and children touching their foreheads to the floor. Miroku stood gallantly before them, his purple robe stained red with blood.

"Please, it was our pleasure to eradicate such evil creatures from the land," his voice came out unusually musically. The two girls standing behind him, also covered in blood, shared a look and rolled their eyes. They knew the houshi was laying on the charm for a reason.

"How can we ever repay you?" the balding man asked, looking up at them in reverence. It seemed this man was not the smartest in the barrel. The monk coughed into his fist, his staff jangling as he shifted his stance.

"If it wouldn't be too much trouble, great sir," he drawled, letting out another pathetic cough, "we are covered in grime and are exhausted from our extermination duties. If you could but give us a small room, and perhaps a bath...? I know the ladies with me would appreciate such niceties..."

"Of course, of course! How inconsiderate of me!" the man exclaimed. He clapped his hands, and at the sound five servants came running up to him, dropping to their knees in front of their lord. "Prepare our best rooms for the men and women! And be sure to give them each their own bath! It is the least we can do for you, honorable Miroku!"

The kitsune kit giggled at that, having seen the monk's chest puff out at the title. "Miroku sure is laying it on thick this time, isn't he?" he whispered, leaning closer to Kagome's ear. It was funny to watch the monks act, but the kitsune really did enjoy having a nice bath and a warm place to sleep, so it would not do to alert the lord to their deception.

"So long as I get a bath and a place to sleep, I don't care," the girl sighed, kicking off a rather large blob of purple flesh from her shoes. A shudder passed from her head to her toes as she followed the only other female in their group down a long hallway, after a maidservant who looked no older than 17.

"Was it difficult to defeat, my ladies?" the girl questioned softly, lowering her eyes so that they did not meet. Kagome had always hated how servants were not allowed to look straight into their master's eyes; it was so impersonal, it was like they were objects instead of people.

"Just a couple boar demons," Sango said dismissively, wiping her hand against her slayers outfit to get blood off of it. "We've destroyed worse."

"We do this often," the priestess added, scrunching her nose at the stench of blood. "Though I'm still not fond of the smell." The servant girl giggled at that, turning to the left to slide open a door. Inside was a fairly spacious room, with three bedrolls already laid out, and a tub being filled by two male servants in the corner.

"Is this suitable for you?"

"Yes, thank you. We can take care of ourselves from this point," Sango smiled. The girl bowed low and exited from the room, followed soon after by the men. One of whom, she was sure, gave the priestess a rather questionable sizing up, before winking at her in a very Miroku-ish fashion, before slipping out the door.

"Why don't you go first, Sango?" the miko questioned, trying to hide her growing blush. "The tubs not big enough for two...and you were more involved in the battle."

The slayer paused, hands already releasing the clasps at the base of her neck that held her clothes in place. "Are you sure...?" Her eyes looked at the tub longingly, but she managed to hold her position.

"Of course I am!" the younger girl exclaimed. She waved her arms in a shooing motion, a grin on her face. "You're covered! I've only got a few spots. Go on, it's perfectly all right. I'll just sit outside in the garden until you're done."

"If you're sure..."

The miko quickly reassured her it was perfectly fine, and left the kitsune kit to watch over their belongings as she walked to the garden. The wooden hallways were dimly lit every few feet by a flickering candle, the golden light so different from the fluorescent lighting in her own time. It took only a few twists and turns for her to find the center of the compound, which held a beautiful garden that only lords and princes could possibly afford in these dangerous times.

In the center of the garden sat a tall mound of boulders, from which flowed a babbling waterfall. The sparkling water fell into a small pond, its depths filled with the silhouettes of swimming koi. On its surface floated the face of the half moon, shining upon it as if it were a mirror.

"So pretty," the girl murmured, sitting upon the edge of the walkway. She kicked off her grimy shoes, scrunching her nose at squelch of resistance they made before finally releasing her. The grass was soft beneath her feet, cool from the night air. The priestess gazed tiredly up at the twinkling stars, eyes drooping with exhaustion. How nice it would be to just fall asleep beneath the moon, absorbing its rays in your sleep. Maybe she would dream of dancing high in the sky, without a care in the world, as she was sure the stars must do when everyone was sound asleep.

"Hn. You left your guard down, priestess."

Kagome let out a small squeak, spinning around to face the source of the foreign voice. A sword was leveled at her throat, leading into the shadows beneath the eaves of the lord's home. If she squinted just the tiniest bit, she could see a pair of red, glowing eyes, and a figure that couldn't be much taller than she. The sword pressed non-too-gently against her the soft skin at the nape of her neck, and she felt the wet, slimy texture of blood trickle down her throat.

"Heeeey!" she gasped, glaring up at what she assumed was a man. "Just what do you think you're doing, mister? Sneaking up on a girl like that!"

The man's stance shifted, and she flinched as the cold metal bit deeper into her skin. "Foolish woman," the man said, red eyes narrowing in anger. "You will regret using that tone with me."

"I have a name, you know!" Even though her voice was even, her arms shook from the effort of remaining still. This man, or rather, this demon, could very easily kill her. She could feel the malevolent energy rolling off of him in waves, and while it was not as dangerous and overpowering as Naraku's, she had witnessed more than her fair share of demons with blood staining their claws. "It's Kagome! Ka-go-me!"

The demon rolled his eyes at her words, tightening his grip upon the sword. "You possess the shikon no tama, correct? Give it to me, and I shall spare your pathetic life."

Kagome huffed, turning her sapphire eyes towards the man that hid in the shadows. "I can feel your aura, mister! There's no way you'd 'spare' me even if I did give it to you! Which I'm not, by the way!"

"You tire my patience, woman."

It was then that the miko noticed the white bandages wrapped around the demons forehead and the dark stain that marred its pristine surface. "Oh my goodness, are you hurt?" The demons red eyes blinked at her sudden change in behavior, tilting his head at her. He could no longer hear the frantic beating of her heart, no longer smelled the stench of fear radiating from her frail body. This woman was strange indeed. "You're heads bleeding!"

Quicker than he had anticipated the girl slid past his sword, scrambling to her feet and placing her hand gently against the bandages upon his head. "Unhand me, human!"

"I won't do any such thing," she chided. The teenager began to carefully untangle the messy tendrils of cloth, clucking her tongue absentmindedly. "See, you're not even strong enough to push me away. Now stay still! I have some herbs in my pack that'll have you back on your feet...in no...time..."

The demon sighed, closing his eyes as her voice faded. It was no wonder—the girl had gotten her first glimpse of the eye he'd had implanted just weeks ago. He prepared himself for the scream of horror, the smell of salt as the tears escaped her, the scent of fear. It was what any silly ningen woman would have done. But not, it seemed, this girl.

He felt a feather light touch along the edge of the Jagan, not close enough to prove painful, but unmistakably curious. "...You had someone put this in?" Her voice was soft, soothing compared to the screams he was expecting. Opening his red orbs, the demon glared up at the woman who stood just slightly taller than he.

"Hn. It is no concern of yours."

"You lost your strength, didn't you?" she questioned. The demon flinched as she gently wiped away the blood that dripped from the corner of his third eye with the edge of her ridiculous outfit, frowning at the close contact. "That's why you want the jewel, isn't it?"

"Hn." He did not understand her conduct. People always ran from him, or died because of their overconfidence. Ningen especially feared his power. Even in this weakened state he could strangle every last ounce of breath in her body. But he found it oddly...comforting for someone to react as if he were average. Or at least, close to average. She did not cringe or cry, even though she knew of the dangers that demons posed to humans.

"Come inside," Kagome pleaded, pulling away her arm. The demon blinked as she gently tugged on his arm, her flesh warm against his bicep. "Please. You're welcome to stay with us until you're healed. We're not the most conventional traveling companions, but we're a family, of sorts. You won't be pushed away."

"Hn." Kagome giggled as he glanced away; sure she witnessed a small pink flush against his pale cheeks.

"Now, why don't you tell me your name?" she coaxed, leading him inside the large home. "I can't just keep calling 'demon' or 'you' all the time, can I?"

"...Hiei."

* * *

Kagome was more than a little surprised when a certain red head was there to greet her as she climbed out of the well. "Kurama!" The kitsune pulled her out of the well with a graceful strength that she envied on a daily basis, and pulled her into a bone crushing hug.

"If you ever leave me like that again I _will _follow you, even if I have to fight every single demon in my path, _including _Inuyasha, and I will drag you back here and handcuff you to your desk!" The miko chuckled nervously, hiding her face within the folds of his shirt.

"I was worried you would stop me..." Her voice faded off as the male suddenly held her away from his body, a frown on his face. "Kurama...?" With a startled 'eep' she turned scarlet as his face buried itself in the crook of her neck, his breath tickling across her skin.

"...Have you made a new friend in the feudal era, Kagome?" His voice only caused her to wiggle in response, as his warm exhale raised Goosebumps along her flesh. "Kagome?"

"He-he was injured!" she exclaimed, pulling away from his searching nose. "I couldn't just let him run around with a bleeding forehead...!"

The demon ignored her attempts at distancing herself, pulling her body flush against his own. The males scent nearly covered her, and that was _not _to his satisfaction. His scent was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "Why was he bleeding?"

"He had this eye implanted to..."

"Hn. I see you've returned, priestess." Kagome stood on her toes, looking over the redheads shoulder to better see the intruder.

"It's _you!_"

* * *

**Read and Review please! ^_^ I apologize for the delay, just couldn't quite find a good topic to write about for a while. **


	4. Rivalry

THEME 4: RIVALRY

(Words: 1069)

"**Hiei"**

"_Kurama"_

* * *

Kagome Higurashi had never been so confused in her 17 years of life. She had been happily surprised when the illusive fire demon from the past had appeared on her side of the well. He had grown in the last 500 years since then. The top of her head now barely reached his nose. Her joy was short lived.

It soon became obvious that Kurama did not seem to appreciate his comrade's sudden appearances. The girl just couldn't understand why they seemed to argue every time they spoke to one another. She could often feel the growl that rumbled through his chest, and noted the way they would often glare at one another for long periods of time. _"It must be something to do with the Jagan," _she thought grimly, recalling a conversation she'd had with the red head about psychic abilities.

That thought led to another, and then another, until she was about to burst with questions. IT wasn't long before curiosity killed the cat and she found herself standing beneath the imposing limbs of the Goshinboku, which had become the darkly clad demons favorite new resting spot.

"Hiiiiei!" The fire demon looked down at her from his precarious perch, lazily opening one of his red orbs. "Could you come down for a minute?" Kagome scowled at the obvious sigh that escaped his lips. In the blink of an eye he was leaning against the trunk of the tree, hands hidden within the folds of his cloak, as if he had been there from the beginning.

"Well? Speak miko."

"Ka-go-me," she corrected, a frown marring her porcelain skin. "Oh, whatever. I just wanted to ask you some things about the Jagan, if you don't mind."

"Hn." Taking that as an affirmative, the girl plunged ahead.

"What abilities has the Jagan given you? Kurama mentioned that it gave you enhanced strength, but he only hinted that it gave you psychic abilities."

The fire demon blinked slowly at her, his head tilting just the slightest bit. "I can control the minds of weaker individuals and invade their every memory, if their mental barriers are lacking. It also allows me to have farther reaching senses, so that I can detect the aura of a demon or human alike within twenty miles. With the Jagan it is almost impossible to hide your ki from me."

"Can you use telepathy too?" she questioned, eyes widening at the prospect. No wonder he had wanted to implant such a powerful weapon, even though the risks were life threatening.

"Hn."

"Could you do it without invading the mind? Without hurting them, I mean?"

"Are you insinuating you wish to speak to me telepathically? The demon raised an eyebrow at her, more than amused by her questions. Only this onna would think about the welfare of others when it came to a dangerous method of

"N-no..."

"It is possible. The fox and I have a mental link that allows us to relay information to one another, whether we are standing next to one another or across a vast distance," he said.

Kagome frowned in thought, biting her bottom lip in her concentration. "Would you be willing to demonstrate with me?" she questioned quietly. "I really am very curious. It's just...would you promise not to go through my memories?" At his questioning gaze, she blushed and continued. "I've had bad experiences with witches and demons controlling my body. It's not that I don't trust you...I just..."

"Hn. I will not wander within your mind, miko. Your barriers are strong enough to hold me at bay had I a desire to do so." His voice softened just the slightest bit, though strangers wouldn't have noticed the almost imperceptible change. "Now, sit and I will begin."

The miko sat by his side, taking a deep, calming breath. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Hn. You will have to allow me access momentarily. I will create the link and pull out immediately afterwards. Once the link is established you may sever it should you wish. I will not need to re-enter your mind again after this." The girl only nodded, scrunching close her eyes.

At first she didn't notice anything different. Just the feel of the long grass beneath her fingertips, the leaves rustling in the breeze, and the darkness behind her closed lids. And then she felt it. A thin tendril of youki probing against her barrier, gently pressing aside the invisible protection. It was an odd sensation, and she could only describe it as one would describe the feeling of slime against their skin. Something unnatural; something most would cringe from. But she managed to ignore the impulse, sucking in sweet, sweet air into her trembling lungs.

"I will not hurt you, onna."

"I-I trust you..." In a sudden burst he was gone from her mind, and the feeling of being invaded vanished. Her left temple gently throbbed against her skull, but nothing else seemed amiss. "Is that it?"

"Hn. That is all."

Kagome cautiously opened her eyes, blinking up at a pair of shining red orbs. "Well, that was easier than I expected. I was expecting some sort of chanting or something," she grinned sheepishly.

**"Hn. And why would I do such a ridiculous thing?"** The words came from somewhere, but she knew it was not from his mouth, unless the fire demon had become a ventriloquist in his spare time.

"...It worked!"

* * *

Kurama glanced speculatively between the miko and fire demon. Something was obviously up. Every now and again the girl would burst out into giggles before glancing at the shorter man, trying her hardest to cover her grin with a slender hand.

_"Mind telling me what's so funny, Hiei?"_

**"Hn. Why don't you ask her yourself, fox"**

The kitsune shifted in his seat, a growl reverberating softly through his chest. _"Something is different. She's looking at you as if you're making your smart ass comments." _He paused in his glaring contest with the apparition, turning his attention to the girl who was yet again giggling uncontrollably. Following her gaze, he felt his eyes widen in understanding. _"You created a link between your minds, didn't you?"_

**"What business is it of yours? I've known this girl from five centuries ago; much longer then yourself," **Hiei's voice was full of an unusual smug attitude, which only aggravated the plant-user further.

_"You dirty, rotten, sneaky little...!"_


	5. Unbreakable

**THEME 5: UNBREAKABLE**

(Words: 1,604 )

"_Personal Thoughts"

* * *

_

The red-head paced in front of the ancient well, the dim light casting his face in shadows. _"Where is she? She said she'd be home in time for school..."_ Visions of demons swam before his mind's eye, and if he'd still had his seven tails they would have been twitching in agitation. There was no end to the possible setbacks that would prevent her from coming home to take exams. Hordes of demons, murderous human thieves, natural disasters, and that half demon Naraku. He had questioned her about him extensively, having never heard of him, for at the time he had been in the continent practicing his thievery.

Naraku had the ability to absorb the bodies of other demons, and also to expel them and create new and more dangerous adversaries. His poisonous miasma and saimyoushou made it near impossible for the monk and taijiya that traveled with her to come near his mysterious castle, and Inuyasha's attempts to smell him out were futile, as the monstrous barrier around his estates prevented any and all scents from escaping. They mainly traveled around listening for any and all gossip that flowed through both the demon and human communities, clinging to any shard of information that sounded out of place. Most of the time they came across rogue demons that were unaffiliated with the hanyou, and it took weeks to come across a shred of truth.

_"She could be hurt; dying even,"_ he thought vehemently, shoving his hand into his pockets. _"And I'm stuck here waiting...!"_He paused in his thoughts as his hand brushed against something smooth and round, pulling a small bracelet from the depths of his pocket. It was large enough to fit on his wrist, with shining black bead interspersed with fragments of demon bones. She had explained to him that the beads were made from stone from the base of Mount Fuji, and the bones were that of a large cat demon. Both would give him good luck, she'd promised, admitting shyly that she herself had managed to bless them with her powers.

As he ran his fingers against the smooth stones, a strange tingling began to grow in his gut. Frowning, he looked around, trying to find the source of the strange energy he was detecting. Green eyes grew wide as he witnessed a rather spectacular light show bursting from the rim of the well. Blue sparks flew from its lip towards the ceiling, fizzling out harmlessly once it touched the wooden structure. The energy was oddly familiar to him, and he realized with a jolt that it felt similar to that of Kagome's pure miko energy, but on a much larger scale. So much more powerful, it was almost choking in its intensity.

"Now, what is it you're trying to say?" he mumbled, edging closer to the lip of the well. The crackling energy sent the hair on the nape of his neck standing on edge, raising goose bumps along his arms. As a hunch he held out the hand holding the bracelet, only slightly surprised as the ki wound around his arm, its aura warm and inviting. "Ah, now I see. You gave this to me as an emergency measure, didn't you Kagome? You really should have been born a Kitsune." Making sure the bracelet was secure around his wrist, the avatar vaulted into the darkness.

* * *

He knew before even exiting the well that his hunch had been correct, and that he was truly in the feudal era. Not because of the sunshine that trickled into its depths, nor the chirping of curious birds. No, it was the smell that assaulted him that confirmed the reality. The sweet aroma of rich soil and green grass permeated the air, soaking into his greedy lungs. Here there was no taint of mankind. Nor was there the scent that accumulated when there were large masses of people collected in a small space. The kitsune inhaled deeply, his ancient senses delighting in the long lost memory of a wilder world that was untainted by mankind. It was almost with reluctance that he pulled himself from his reverie, climbing up the vines that draped into the infamous Bone Eaters Well.

As he exited the dank underground, the avatar frowned. He could sense a powerful youki far to the south, but from this distance he could not truly guess its magnitude. The aura was as dense as mud, teasing his quivering senses even as he searched for a scent that had become so familiar to him that he could find it in his sleep. He could smell the hanyou, the small kit and neko mata, and the two human companions of hers. Just beneath the odd tangle of smells, he could just make out the scent of strawberry shampoo, the very one that Kagome used on a regular basis. And it was headed straight towards the ominous youki.

"Kagome..."

* * *

Her mind was foggy with adrenaline, only able to comprehend one thing. _"It hurts!"_Shouts and sounds of battle echoed around her, a dim roar to the cringing girl. Kagome gingerly pulled her hand from the gaping wound in her abdomen, vision swimming at the sight of her bright, crimson blood against her white uniform. It was strangely warm against her skin, which was trembling uncontrollably. _"So much...so much blood..."_

The girl managed to wrench her gaze from her hand, turning dull blue orbs to the destruction around her. Sango and Miroku were still standing on either side of her, still fighting off the hordes of demons that never seemed to end. Against her back clung her little kit, trembling and babbling in fear.

"You'll be okay Kaa-san, y-you'll be okay," he muttered, pressing his nose against the skin on the nape of her neck. "Sango and M-Miroku w-will keep the demons away..."

Farther away Inuyasha was screaming her name, struggling against the tentacles from Naraku's puppet, preventing him from re-joining their group. _"Inuyasha..."_ Her vision flickered yet again, darkness threatening to overtake her. But the miko hung on fiercely, spots flickering before her eyes. It was then that she noticed something tickling against the edge of her senses, something that she couldn't quite identify.

She frowned as she weakly pushed herself into a sitting position, even as Shippo protested the movement. "Quiet...Shippo..." The kit immediately lapsed into silence, a small paw pressing gently at the oozing wound on her side. A flash of red entered her sight along the edge of her vision, and she mustered a small grin. "Tell Miroku...tell him a friend of mine...is here...don't attack him, he's here...to help."

The kitsune nodded his head, whipped the tears from his eyes, and bounded towards the houshi. Kagome looked again at her blood stained hand, distractedly wondering just how she looked to the avatar. _"Probably a mess. Covered in dirt and blood..."_ Screeches met her ears then, and her gaze was brought up.

He looked magnificent and terrifying all at once, wielding a strange, spiked whip that sliced through the air with a resounding crack. The white shirt against his chest was soon soaked in blood and sweat, sticking to his lean form like a second layer of skin. His long tresses flew angrily in all directions as he slashed and kicked his way through the crowd of multicolored demons, coming closer and closer by the moment. It took no time at all for him to dispose of the puppet that encased the hanyou in its clutches, and with that done the kitsune rushed to her side.

"Kagome!" His breath came out harshly as he stumbled to his knees, scooping the young priestess into his trembling arms. Emerald orbs took in the sight of the crimson blood staining her uniform and he wasted no time in lifting the material to gain a better look. "What happened to you?" She dazedly wondered if his voice truly sounded so frantic or if it was merely the blood pounding in her ears.

"Kaa-san was hit by one of the tentacles," Shippo supplied, skidding to a stop next to the older man. He danced apprehensively on the balls of his feet, nose working furiously as he confirmed that his caretaker was still alive. "'Cept this time the ends of the tentacles were dipped in poison. It won't stop bleeding!"

Kurama gently placed the gasping girl back upon the ground, yanking off his own shirt. He then cut it into strips, discarding the pieces that were unusable with so much blood. "I need you to find these seeds for me, kit," he grunted. He placed a small oval shaped seed into the palm of the awaiting child, returning to his task. "I will need them to heal the wound."

The avatar quickly began to press the cloth against the pale girl's skin, wincing at the whimpers of pain that escaped her lips. Her skin was clammy with sweat and her body shuddered as if she were in a bathtub full of ice. He took no notice of the crowd of people behind him, focusing his entire attention upon the girl in his arms.

"I knew...you'd come..." Kagome murmured, gasping as he pressed another cloth to her wound.

"Of course I did, Kagome," he soothed, pressing a trembling hand against her temple. It was hotter than he liked. "Now rest. I will heal your injury."

"Just promise...you won't go..." Her eyes, though half lidded, pleaded up at him so endearingly that his voice caught in his throat.

"No," he whispered, brushing his lips against her temple, "No, I won't leave. I promise."

* * *

**Sorry for the late update, Spring Break and issues with the internet. Read and Review**


	6. Obsessed

THEME 6: OBSESSION

(Words: 914)

* * *

"You haven't slept in two days," The monk said, the soft jangling of his staff alerting the demon to his presence. The avatar merely glanced up at him before reverting his attention to the girl breathing softly next to him. Miroku cleared his throat, lowering himself to the floor and crossing his legs. "You have eaten very little, and have not stretched out your legs. " The room was eerily silent. "Please, Kurama san, why don't you rest for a while?"

At this the red head stirred but did not move. Finally he murmured, "…I will not leave her side." His voice was hoarse from misuse and even in the dimness the houshi could see the dark rings beneath his eyes. This would not do.

"Ah, you did make a promise," he agreed, nodding his head solemnly. The purple robed man plopped his staff across his lap, straightening his back as he added, "However, I do not believe Kagome-sama would wish for you to neglect your own personal necessities." Miroku pulled a bowl of rice mysteriously from his sleeves, holding it out to the kitsune expectantly. He was only a little amused when the man refused to budge. "You cannot expect to care for her properly with such little strength."

The kistune's eyes flickered golden before he grudgingly took the bowl, the chopsticks clicking softly in his fingertips. "Thank you…" In no time at all the rice was gone and he was yet again staring at the pale girl. The hut was silent but for the occasional sounds of wildlife that so easily invaded its walls.

Soon Shippo, Kirara, and Sango entered the dark home, each carrying an armload of fire wood. Within minutes they had a fire built, whispering to one another in low tones. Through it all the monk and avatar sat before the frail figure, silent as mountain peaks, and nearly as stubborn.

"Nii-san?" Kurama blinked as his vision was suddenly invaded by a ball of brown fur and blue-green eyes. The kit sat perched upon his knee, balancing extraordinarily well for a child. "Nii-san, you need to sleep."

The avatar shook his head. "I made a promise." Distantly, he realized that he sounded like a stubborn child. The kit frowned up at him, placing his hands on his hips in a very Kagome-ish fashion.

"I never said to break your promise," the child reprimanded, waving a furry paw at him. "We'll put a bed right next to Kaa-chan's, so you can stay with her and still be able to sleep."

"But if she woke while I was sleeping, if she needed me…"

"We'd wake you, of course," the taijiya interrupted, a kind smile upon her face. Kurama had forgotten she was even there. "I know how it feels when someone you love is injured, but you must regain your strength so that when she needs you the most you can give her your best, Kurama-san. You will not be breaking your promise doing so."

The red head looked at the strange company around him, his sluggish mind beginning to turn. These people were her friends, comrades that she could trust with her life. By the looks on their faces he could guess at the strong bond that existed between them. They had something in common between one another—the desire to protect the young woman sleeping blissfully next to him. "…I will rest."

* * *

He reluctantly re-entered the world of wakefulness. It was warm and comfortable in the realm of sleep, and he was loath to give up the tendrils of relaxation that surrounded him. But something slowly tugged at him until sensation returned. Someone was stroking his hair. Blinking open his eyes, the kitsune practically purred. "Kagome!"

Said female was resting comfortably next to him, perhaps a foot or so of distance between their bodies, smiling with those bright sapphire eyes. He gently grabbed her wrist and brought it away from his long tresses, placing a small, feather-light kiss along the inside of her palm. "Good afternoon, sleepy head," she said, the tease adding a lilt to her voice. "You've been sleeping for hours."

"You should have woken me," he scolded lightly. The red head propped his head upon the palm of his hand, staring down at the girl that he had been so concerned about these last few days. "I would have checked your bandages. Have you eaten?"

"Sango and Miroku-sama gave me some rice." The girl wrinkled her nose at the memory. "It tasted awful, with all of the healing herbs Kaede-sama put in them."

Their attention was diverted as the straw mat in the front door rustled aside, followed by the purple form of the monk. "Ah, Kagome-sama, praise Buddha you've awoken," the man smiled. He gestured towards the other man, lowering himself down next to her. "He's been obsessed over you for the past few days!"

"I…was merely keeping my promise to remain by her side…"

"Quite obsessed, Kagome-sama," the monk interjected. A small smile curved the edges of his lips, and Kurama was horrified to find his face flushing in embarrassment. "He wouldn't eat or sleep, nor would he leave your side for a moment! Why, such complete, blind obsession, one could only surmise that Kurama-san is quite taken with yo..!"

"Kurama!" Kagome gasped, looking down at the currently unconscious monk who had a large bump on his head.

"It's perfectly fine, Kagome. He will wake up in a few hours…hopefully."

* * *

**For anyone possibly confused at the ending, yes, Kurama got embarrassed and knocked out Miroku. XD Read and Review my peeps! -Master of all perv's, out!**


	7. Eternity

THEME 7: ETERNITY

(Words:827)

* * *

"You should let me carry you the rest of the way," the kitsune grumbled, giving the girl next to him a sour look. She leaned heavily against the remains of a tree, cheeks flushed a becoming shade of pink as she breathed deeply through her mouth. But she merely waved away his comment, gently returning to the trail before the red head could throw her over his shoulder.

"We're almost there, really," she soothed. The raven haired beauty hitched her thumbs beneath the straps of her well-used yellow book bag, stepping delicately over a rather large rock. Noticing the skeptical glance he sent her, the priestess sighed. "Will it make you feel better if I let you carry me when we head back…?"

"Immensely." The red head put his hand on the base of her back, gently guiding her as they continued up the steep terrain. "You shouldn't be up, considering your injuries." He noticed distractedly that the trees were beginning to thin when the girl suddenly stopped, seemingly ignoring his comment.

Just to the right of them the ground dipped between two hills, its path worn clean of grass. "Through here," she breathed, excitement adding a bounce to her steps. Stooping beneath branches while keeping the female before him within his sights, the avatar almost missed the sudden barrier that pushed at the edge of his senses.

Before them loomed an immense slab of rock, with an entrance three times his height, and five times as wide. Perhaps a foot within the cavern glowed a pure blue barrier, covering every possible nook and cranny that lead inside. Its purity tingled along his senses, both comforting and unnerving his demonic nature.

The miko, noticing his stiff figure lingering at the tree line, paused just within arm span of the blue wall. She sent him a warm smile, her voice almost a whisper on the breeze. "It won't harm you."

"Kagome…" The girl ignored his look, gently taking his hand and steering him toward the cave.

"You don't want to harm me, right?"

"I would never…!"

"And you're not after the jewel?"

"Kagome, you know I despise using trinkets to gain power…"

"Then you're set."

Kurama gasped as he was suddenly thrust into the chamber, clenching his fists as he prepared himself for the burning power of the barrier. There was nothing but for the gentle caress of the priestesses hand against his back.

"I told you," she chirped, lacing her fingers through his. He allowed her to tug him farther into the cave, distracted by the contact of her smooth skin against his calloused hands.

The cave was fairly warm for spring, and soon his long tresses were sticking to the nape of his neck. He could distantly hear the trickling of water, and wondered if there was a spring nearby. It wasn't until the girl let out a small sigh that he paid attention to where they were.

They had stopped in the opening of a large chamber, easily able to hold perhaps a hundred or so people. The floor was worn smooth from the footsteps of people long past, yet that was not what caught his eyes. In the middle of the room sat the largest statue he had ever seen, glowing with the same blue light as that of the barrier. It depicted the scene of monstrous dragon curling around the small form of a woman wearing ancient battle armor.

"I had hoped it was still here, in my time." The girls voice was tinged with a smile, and he tore his glance to look down at her.

"What is this, Kagome?" He followed her as she moved closer towards the sculpture, the smile never wavering upon her face.

"This is where everything started…see there, on her shoulder?" The kitsune leaned to catch what she was looking at, and was surprised to find a gaping hole in the spot where the woman's heart should have been. "That, Kurama, is where the shikon no tama was born."

She watched as he stepped up to the statue, his fingers gently brushing along the scales of the dragon's belly. "This is Midoriko, then?"

"Mmhm. She's almost like an ancestor, since she's the one that basically created me," she murmured. At his questionable look, she added, "She tricked the rekkai into allowing Kikyo's soul to reincarnate, and kinda put the shikon inside me when they weren't looking."

The kitsune snorted. "She sounds as stubborn as you are." He watched as she stepped up next to the long-dead-miko, her smile faltering.

"Stuck here for all eternity, eh, Midoriko sama…seems we both were pulled into something, with no way out…"

The red head frowned at her choice of words, coming up next to her shoulder. "Kagome…"

"C'mon, it's time to eat lunch." His arguments were soon lost as the girl tugged on his arm insistently, leaving behind the glowing eyes of a dragon and priestess.

* * *

**No fluff this time, but, eh, can't have an entire story be just about fluff (even if I would love to do so). Next time there may be a bit more fluffyness. Read and Review! -Master of all perv's, out!**


	8. Gateway

THEME 8: GATEWAY

(Words:822)

* * *

"Are you _sure _you want to do this, Kagome?" His voice slid gently against her ears as she looked up into the giant doorway in front of her. They stood on the outside of the fifteen foot door, its columns made of monstrous demon bones that shone with a blue light. Twining her fingers through his, she gave him a tight smile.

"Of course I am," she murmured. "I believe the prince of spirit world knows of my existence already, but in case he doesn't, it's best he knows. And I want to see what he looks like. Hiei called him a 'toddler' so I'm a bit curious."

The kitsune chuckled, pressing a red button on the panel next to the door. "Be sure not to say that when you see him. Koenma's quite irritated with that name."

They waited until the door gave a shudder, its bulk slowly groaning inwards. Kagome wasn't sure what she had been expecting, perhaps a room full of floating souls, but certainly not this. The room beyond was full of multicolored ogres sitting in desks, answering phone calls, and carrying around precarious mountains of paperwork.

She allowed the kitsune to tug her further inside, eyes wide as she took in the scene. A few ogres called out the red heads name in greeting, curious eyes lingering upon her as she passed. After dodging around rushing, spectacled ogres on a mission, they arrived at another door. This one was merely ten feet tall but equally intimidating with bones decorating its exterior.

Kurama knocked once before gently pushing against the door, poking his head inside to make sure the room was empty, and pulled her inside. "Why, Kurama, to what do I owe the pleasu…what is _she _doing _here_?" Sitting behind an impressive wooden desk was what looked like a flabbergasted baby. The child wore a blue and pink hat that was nearly as tall as he was, the word 'Jr.' plastered against the rim. He wore a matching blue tunic, with a splash of red tied around his waist.

"Are you Koenma…sama?" the raven haired beauty questioned. Her eyebrows disappeared beneath her hairline.

The squinty eyed child jumped onto the top of his desk, glaring at his employee. "Kurama, explain yourself. Why did you bring a human here?" Kagome bit her cheek, trying not to laugh at his squeaky voice.

"She insisted, Koenma. We both determined that if you did not already know of her existence, it would be imperative that you know. This is Kagome Higurashi, the protector of the Shikon no Tama."

The child's eyes widened, but he quickly composed himself and nodded. Sliding brown orbs towards the fidgeting girl, he murmured around his pacifier, "I am aware of your…situation, Higurashi. My father and I have been closely monitoring you ever since we realized which soul we reincarnated within you."

The girl slipped into a small bow, a smile curving the edge of her lips. "Thank you, Koenma sama. I'm greatly relieved that I have protectors not only in Sengoku Jidai, but also in the modern era." She was startled by a sudden boom that echoed in the small room, clutching the kitsune's arm. Before her stood a brown eyed man that looked to be in his twenties, wearing a red scarf around his neck, a blue tunic and long, billowing white sleeves. He would be very attractive, if he did not currently have what looked like a binky in his mouth.

"Had I known you would have been stopping by, I would have remained in this form. The other is rather embarrassing," he said. Kagome was surprised when he suddenly grasped her free hand and brought it to his lips, somehow managing to place a kiss on her palm around his pacifier.

Feeling a blush rising to her cheeks, she managed to splutter, "Ah, it's an honor, K-Koenma sama! Really, your other form was very cute…um, I mean, intimidating…oh…not that I'm afraid of you or anything…oh, I'll shut up now…" She could _feel_ the growl that the red head released.

The prince merely chuckled, keen eyes lingering upon the kitsune at her side. "I appreciate the compliment, Higurashi…"

"Ah, just Kagome, please. I hate formalities…"

"We must be off, Koenma," the red head interrupted, green eyes narrowed. He put an arm around her shoulders, tilting his chin up in a challenge. "Kagome and I have reservations for dinner. We wouldn't want to be late."

"We do? I don't remember…"

"I was going to surprise you. They serve excellent udon."

"Great!"

Koenma listened as they trickled out his doorway, a smirk working its way across his face. "So, he's got the hot's for her, eh?" His voice was eerily loud in the large room. Sitting at the edge of his desk, he ran a hand through his brown locks. "No harm in a little prodding…she's quite adorable when she blushes…"

* * *

**Yet another character to flirt with Kagome. ;D I can't help myself. I love complicated love circles. Read and review! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	9. Death

THEME 9: DEATH

(Words: 743)

* * *

Looking down at the speckled grey stone, she felt the stinging of tears begin. It was hard to believe she was gone. That the girl who just last week had smiled and laughed with her at WacDonalds. She had always been the sweet, innocent girl in their group of friends. The one who excelled in school, who blushed and stammered whenever the conversation turned to boys. Always there when a friend needed it the most, always understanding. Sweet, innocent Ayumi.

She felt a familiar youki tickle along her senses and covered her face with her hands. "He can't be here," she thought. "Not now, when I'm about to…"

"Kagome…?" His voice was quiet, tender, and she wished with all her might that he would leave. A moment later she felt his warm hand upon her shoulder, unnaturally still against her trembling body.

She wanted nothing more than to run from his kind, reassuring hand, and leave this graveyard far, far behind. To pretend that it had never happened; that it was all simply a horrible dream. A large, trembling breath escaped her as his arm gently snaked around her shoulder, incredibly warm against the cool morning air. And suddenly the dam broke, and she threw herself into his arms, the tears released to stream down her face like a river.

"S-she wasn't…! This isn't Sengoku Jidai!" she sobbed, clutching at his jacket. The kitsune wrapped his arms around her shoulders, tucking her head beneath his chin, almost crushing her against his chest. "S-she wasn't s'pose to d-die!"

Kurama clenched his eyes shut, pulling her closer. The sight and scent of her distress tore at his heart and made his youki swirl around her comfortingly, possessively. Unsure of what to do, what to say, all he could do was hold her close to his side, rumbling deep within his chest, as her body slowly stopped shaking.

The sun was just beginning to rise when her body finally went slack against him, her breathing ragged and interspersed with bouts of sniffling. "…Are you alright, Kagome…?"

The miko nodded, her ponytail bobbing as she hid her face against his chest. She wrapped her arms around his waist, setting her ear next to his heart to hear the soothing rhythm. "I…I'm sorry…" Her voice was a mere whisper against his skin, barely audible even to his hearing. "I-it's just…people die in Sengoku Jidai…they're not supposed to…to die _here…_"

He loosened his grip upon her the slightest bit, reaching up with a tender hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "It's a part of life," he murmured, feeling useless. Her body still trembled slightly, sagging against him as if she had lost the will to hold herself up any longer. "…She's not gone forever. Her soul will rest in Rekai, until she's ready to begin again. Her soul still lives on, Kagome, and she will never forget you…"

He almost slapped himself as he heard several more sniffles from the confines of his jacket. "Kurama…"

"Hmm?"

"Will you walk me home…?"

* * *

The kitsune smiled sheepishly up at Mrs. Higurashi, who cooed and insisted on taking a picture. He shifted his grip on the girl who was currently sleeping upon his back, the smallest hint of a blush crossing his cheeks as the camera went off.

"Carry her to her room, dear, would you?" the kind woman questioned, ushering him inside her home. Upon assuring the older woman that it was quite alright, he quietly tread up the worn staircase. Passing by old family photos, some containing a rather tomboyish looking Kagome, he paused at a door and swung it open.

Blinking at the assault of pink upon his senses, the avatar gently placed the girl upon a soft down comforter. The miko wriggled around, brow furrowed, before latching onto his sleeve. Muttering something about women tempting him, the red head finally sighed and sat against the edge of her bed.

"I'm sure your mother wouldn't approve of a boy being in your room for longer than necessary, Kagome," he whispered, brushing her bangs from her eyes with his free hand. He could only smile when she grumbled something incoherent, pulling his sleeve until it was trapped between her arms. "Since when have I become your pillow…?" Gently tugging his arm from her insistent hands and ignoring the resulting frown, he leaned down and brushed a kiss against her cheek. "…Sleep well, Ka-go-me…"

* * *

**The next few should involve a bit more fluff -hint hint- Read and Review! Master of all perv's Out!**


	10. Opportunities

THEME 10: OPPORTUNITIES

(Words:1,488 )

* * *

Kurama was in hell. Sweet, torturous hell, with a view. He should have known that inviting Kagome along with him to the beach would be disastrous. Not only was Yusuke openly leering at her and Kuwabara slobbering over how pretty she was, but the apparition and Koenma had decided to drop by. Between sending them death glares to the hormonal men surrounding them and appreciating the beauties lean body, he was most certainly in hell. At least Keiko was here to slap Yusuke now and then, and Botan could distract Koenma momentarily. There wasn't anything to keep the fire apparition away though, dammit.

"Oi, Kurama, get yer head outta yer ass and come over here!" Yusuke's loud bellow brought him out of his thoughts, and he realized that the sun was beginning to set. Following a giggling Kagome and Botan, he sat down on the warm sand next to the bonfire. He narrowed his eyes at the apparition, who grinned smugly on the other side of Kagome. "Alright, time for truth or dare!"

The kitsune cleared his throat. "I don't believe I feel…safe, playing that with you involved, Yusuke."

"Eh, you don't trust me, fox boy?" the brown eyed man grinned. Next he wiggled his eyebrows, tilting his head in the direction of the raven haired beauty. "I'd only be helpin' ya out, ya know."

"Uremeshi, what're you up to…?"

"What, you too, Kuwabara? You goin' chicken on me or what?"

"Bring it on, Uremeshi!"

Soon everyone was cajoled into playing, some reluctant, others more than willing. Kurama decided that he was also unwilling, ignoring the waggling of the detectives brows.

After a rather embarrassing display of Kuwabara dancing and Botan singing off key, it was Kagome's turn. "Dare!" She stuck her tongue out at the bubbly spirit defiantly; absolutely oblivious to the trouble she had gotten herself into.

The blue haired girl tapped her chin thoughtfully before a glint entered her eyes. "I dare you to give the person to your left a smooch!" she chirped triumphantly.

They froze, the only sound coming from the snapping of the fire. Turning to look at the person to her left, Kagome blushed as she met…

Crimson eyes.

"I-I couldn't possibly…!" Her spluttering was abruptly cut off by a low growl that vibrated on her other side.

"C'mon Kagome!" Yusuke whistled, clapping his hands with a grin. This was undoubtedly the most hilarious thing he had seen/meddled in for a long, long time. He and Botan had quickly noticed the attraction between the blue eyed beauty and the kitsune, and had even noticed how the apparition seemed to follow her like a moth to a flame. So, of course, they had to meddle. "It's just a peck on the cheek!"

Kagome chewed her bottom lip, a blush crawling across her face. She peeked at the fire demon from beneath her bangs, a startled 'eep' escaping her as the taller man caught her gaze.

"Hn. Get it over with, onna." Oblivious to the growl growing on her other side, the girl squared her shoulders and scooted closer.

"…Gomen, Hiei…" She gently placed her hand upon his arm, briefly surprised by the warmth radiating off of him, before placing a fluttering kiss against his cheek.

A chorus of hooting whistles and clapping made her scoot back to her previous seat, face turning beat red. She tried to hide it with her bangs, and finally gave up. "Ne, Kazuma kun, truth or dare?" Her voice squeaked even to her ears.

"Lessee…I choose truth!"

"Hmm…If you could know one thing about the future, what would it be?"

"Who I'd be married to, of course! I'm sure I'll persuade my darling Yukina in the end, though…"

"Hn. Continue with the game instead of your incessant whining, fool."

"Geez, touchy," the large man grumbled, sending the fire demon a sour glare. Looking around the campfire for a few minutes, he finally pointed at Yusuke with a wide grin that reminded her suspiciously of Shippo. "Truth or dare Uremeshi?"

"Pff, dare, of course." Kagome decided that the gruff detective was the modern day equivalent of a certain silver haired hanyou.

"I dare you to run across the beach naked!" Four girl's vehement arguments against said action burst out moments later.

"Don't you even _dare_ think about it, Yusuke...!"

"Oh, my…"

"Ewww…"

"Eeep!"

* * *

"Did you enjoy the party?" His voice was a silent rumble against the skin of her cheek, rousing her from her drowsy state. Kagome adjusted her grip across his shoulders, blushing as she realized that she was basically straddling the man from behind, before quickly shoving the thought to a dark corner of her mind.

"Mmhm. They're all very nice. Yukina, Keiko, Botan and I were talking about having a sleepover sometime soon. Our truth or dares, however, will _not _involve stripping," she muttered. Her face heated up just at the thought. While she hadn't looked while the detective acted out his dare she certainly hadn't been able to block the mental images of it from her mind.

His answering chuckle made her smile. She rather liked the way he laughed, and decided to make him do so more often in the future. "I certainly hope so. No kissing, either, or else I'm sure Yusuke and Kuwabara will faint wherever they're spying on you."

The girl snorted at that, burying her face against the soft back of his jacket. "Hentai's…" She was rather disappointed when they finally reached her doorstep, sliding reluctantly down from his warm, comfortable back. They stood rather awkwardly for a moment as she fiddled with her skirt, pulling up her courage.

"…I should be going," the older man murmured. Turning to take his leave, he was surprised when the girl grabbed the arm of his jacket. Raising an eyebrow at the blush staining her face he paused in his retreat. "Yes, Kagome?"

"Um…ah…oh, damn it…" _That _surprised him. The girl rarely swore, especially in the presence of others.

"Is something wrong…?" Taking in the slight trembling of her hands through the fabric of his jacket and the way she was biting her lower lip, he was completely confused as to what was wrong. He did know that he didn't like her being nervous. In a mere moment he pulled the flustered girl into a loose hug, a deep rumble vibrating deep within his chest. His action proved to be successful as the raven haired beauty timidly wrapped her arms around him, relaxing after a moment's hesitation. "Kagome…?"

"I-I…um…don't get mad…?"

"Hmph. I'll try my best, but depending on what's going on…" His sentence was abruptly interrupted as something soft pressed against his lips. She was kissing him. _She _was _kissing _him! As his thoughts scrambled to the four winds he gently returned the pressure, careful not to get carried away. Her lips were deliciously soft against his own, his fantasy's nothing in comparison to this.

When they finally ended the gentle caress the girl ducked beneath his chin, hiding her burning face from view. "I…really wanted to…um…do that…"

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do the same thing, Ka-go-me," he chuckled, running his hand soothingly against her back. He placed a lingering kiss against the crown of her head, sighing in a rather dramatic fashion. "As much as I'd enjoy a repeat performance, I believe your mother will be arriving at the door in a matter of moments."

He watched in amusement as the girl squeaked and jumped out from his arms, fussing with her hair and pulling at the hem of her shirt, trying really, _really_ hard to look innocent.

"Ah, Kagome, Kurama, you're here. I was just wondering where you were." Mrs. Higurashi stood at the door, fairly beaming at them. Her face took on a rather amused expression when she noticed her daughter's pathetic attempt to hide her beat red face and wide eyes. "It's time for you to go to bed, dear. You have to leave rather early in the morning, after all."

Muttering a quick goodbye to the red-head and an equally quick hug the sapphire eyed girl disappeared into the depths of her household, her curses easily heard by his demonic hearing as she tripped over one thing or another. "It was a pleasure seeing you again, Mrs. Higurashi. I regret having to leave, yet mother did ask me to stop by tonight for a late dinner."

The older woman looked him over, a small smile quirking the edges of her lips. "Yes, you wouldn't want to keep her waiting." As the young man turned to head down the daunting steps that lead down into the city, she added, "And Kurama?" He turned to face her, a quizzical expression across his handsome face. "I'm rooting for you, dear."

And then she was gone with a scandalous wink and a rustle of cloth, leaving behind a blushing kitsune.

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**A wee bit more fluff in this one, for both your pleasure and my sanity. Please review :) -Master of all perv's, out!**


	11. 33

THEME 11: 33%

(Words: 256)

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"Stupid piece of…! Urgh!" The girl dropped her head against her desk with a loud 'thump', groaning as she pulled at her already messy hair. A chuckling figure sitting on the corner of her bed had her glaring moments later. "Shut up!"

"Excuse me, Kagome, I couldn't help myself." The kitsune watched in amusement as the girl tapped impatiently on the keyboard, turning her heated glare to the screen in front of her.

"Ugh!"

"Pushing buttons will not make it move any faster," he supplied, grinning as she stamped her foot in a very childish manner. He stood up from her pink comforter, leaning his slim build against the back of her swiveling chair. "Nor will glaring help."

The girl pouted impressively, slumping in her chair. She huffed, blowing the bangs out of her eyes. "It's just going so _slow!_ Even a slug youkai goes faster than this!"

He chuckled at her odd comparison, allowing his hand to gently tickle against her upper arm. "I _do _know something we could do while you wait." His voice fairly purred, his eyes flashing golden as he looked down at the raven haired beauty.

"Really? What?" she questioned, completely oblivious to his tone. She squeaked when he dropped in front of her, his face ghosting especially close to her blushing face.

"This." And suddenly his lips were pressed against hers, gently yet urgently. She was soon too preoccupied with the feeling of his warm lips to notice that her computer screen still read 33%.

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**Special thanks to all of you who have reviewed! :D -Master of all Perv's, Out!**


	12. Dead Wrong

THEME 12: DEAD WRONG

(Words: 345)

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The hanyou hovered outside of the shoji door, ears pressed forward as he waited at the threshold. "Hnn. It's that fox," he muttered darkly, listening to the rooms inhabitants.

"…You need to press _this,_ Kagome. I'm sure it will elicit a better response."

"Ooooh, Kurama…you're _so _good at this!"

"I've had a lot of practice."

"With how many people? Oh!"

"A few, but they insisted on multiple rounds…"

"I-I don't know if I can go _that _long…yet…"

Inuyasha frowned, his brow creasing. They couldn't be talking about…nah.

"Mmm. Don't worry, I can teach you."

"Agh! C-can we go faster?"

"If you think you can keep up."

"I think I'm ready!"

"Wait a moment, Kagome. I need to go inside first…"

"Nnnngh…! A-are you sure it'll fit…? It looks a little big…"

"I'm positive, Kagome. A tight fit, but it will work."

"Ooooh…! Now it's all wet!"

"At this point it's supposed to be. The farther we go, the wetter it gets."

His eyes widened as he pressed his ear towards the screen, positive he was hearing things wrong. Innocent Kagome, doing…? No, it wasn't possible.

"R-really…?"

"Mmhm. It makes things slightly difficult if you're not careful…"

"I'd be lost without you, Kurama. Teach me some more?"

"Alright. Now, if you grab this and go back and forth a few times…!"

"Oh! I didn't know it moved!"

"Of course, Kagome. It all has to do with heat."

"Mmm…so if I do this, will it move more?"

"Ah! Yes, Kagome, that's perfect! Here, let's do it together now!"

"Oooh, ooh, Kurama…!"

"Oi, what the hell's going on in here?" the hanyou spluttered, kicking open the door with a brilliant clatter of wood. Prepared to catch them in a compromising position, the silver haired man almost face planted at what he saw. The two teens were blinking up at him from their spots on the floor, their hands clasping…video game controllers.

"Hello, Inuyasha. To what do we owe the visit?"

"I thought…! But from out there it sounded like…!"

"Inu-yasha! SIT BOY!"

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**Heheh, couldn't help myself with this one folks. Please review! -Master of all Perv's, Out!**


	13. Running Away

THEME 13: RUNNING AWAY

(Words: 1387)

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"Oh, dear, she needs someone to cheer her up," Mrs. Higurashi murmured, a concerned frown marring her pretty face. She looked towards the stairways for a moment longer before turning towards the young man before her. "I know that she hides things from me. I've seen her with bandages before, but she always smiles and says everything's alright. She doesn't want me worrying, but she's much too young to be hiding such traumatic things…"

"If you'll allow me, I can speak to her," the kitsune offered, emerald eyes narrowed. He slowly walked up the rickety staircase, demonic hearing easily picking up the loud sniffling escaping the girls bedroom. Not bothering to knock, being as she would probably tell him to leave if he tried, he gently opened the door, leaning against the doorframe to take in the scene.

Sprawled across the top of her comforter, face down, still garbed in her muddy uniform, was Kagome. Her hair was tousled and interspersed with leaves, twigs, and still more mud. Lying across the floor was a variety of damaged books, a yellow back pack, and a few shattered remains of a glass cup. He looked back at the object of his concern, frowning as a sob wracked her body.

"…I know you're there…" Her voice was absolutely miserable and heart wrenching. "And you can just go 'way…"

The red-head huffed and closed the door behind him, crossing the room until her stood next to her bed. "I am not leaving you in this state."

"Like you care…"

He narrowed his eyes at her and bit his tongue. Something obviously had upset her, and arguing with her wouldn't help him figure out what that was. "I do care," he murmured, placing a hand on the small of her back. He was surprised, and a little hurt, when the girl flinched away from him, scooting closer to the wall to escape him ministrations. "Kagome, what happened?"

"It's none of yer business…!" She stilled at the impressive growl that burst forth from her normally polite friend. The girl gasped as she was suddenly flipped onto her back, scowling up at narrow green eyes. She squirmed and realized that her hands were pinned above her head. "L-let go of me…!"

"Quiet." The miko snapped her mouth close at the icy tone in his voice as his eyes flickered golden in the dim light. Twining around the edge of her senses was the distinct energy of a youkai, curling around her possessively, angrily. "You will tell me what has upset you. _Now!_" He sighed at the determined tilt to her head, easily recognizing the fire building in her eyes. Her mouth remained closed. "Kagome…_please _tell me. I don't like seeing you struggle like this." The girl stubbornly remained silent.

Kurama wasn't quite sure what came over him next. Perhaps it had something to do with his strong kitsune influence, or perhaps Yusuke's perverseness had finally rubbed off on him. One moment he was glaring at her, about to lose his cool and yell like a madman, and the next she was crushed against his chest, his lips pressed tightly to hers. He paid little mind to the fact that his canines had lengthened during his anger and nibbled her bottom lip, licking up the blood seconds later. The feeling of her body pressed against his, the taste of her blood, and the irritation flooding off of him in waves made him forgetful. He didn't notice her struggling beneath him until a sharp zap on his chest jolted him from his daze.

"You shouldn't touch me!" the girl cried. Panting, he watched as she turned her head from his critical gaze, throwing an arm over her tear stained face as another sob worked its way through her throat.

"I _want _to touch you…I rather enjoy it."

"B-but y-you're not s'pose to touch somebody who's tainted!" Her desperate proclamation made him freeze as his youki swirled around him dangerously.

"…Who told you you were tainted?" Whoever had made her believe that she was in any way tainted was going to meet a certain silver tailed fox in the very near future, Koenma be damned. Seeing the distress in the set of her shoulders, the smell of her tears, they almost sent him over the edge. His vision flickered red for a tense moment before he shoved the anger back, taking deep breaths through his mouth to calm down.

When the girl tried to wriggle away he kept a firm grip upon her hands, effectively holding her in place. She eventually gave up and slumped against the bed. Arm still shielding her eyes from his scrutiny, she whispered, "Kikyo…"

"Tell me exactly what she said, Kagome. I'll be able to tell if you try to lie to me." His voice booked no argument.

"…S-she said that…since I shattered the jewel, countless people have d-died…that it's all my fault they died…that if I hadn't broken it, they'd s-still be alive…" She didn't even bother to fight him as he gently untangled her arm from her head. Kind emerald eyes gazed down at her, prompting a new wave of tears.

"Kagome, listen to me…it is _not_ your fault. The jewel shattering was purely an accident, and you've worked hard to fix that!" he insisted. Gentle fingers reached up to wipe the tears from her stinging cheeks. "Do you realize how many people would have given up by now if they were in your place?"

The girl sniffled, looking anywhere but at him. His kind eyes were too much for her right now. "…They probably wouldn't have broken it in the first place…"

"That is not true, nor the point. You broke the jewel, yes, but you did not run from your responsibility like Kikyo did! You've done the best that you can, being thrust into a world that is not your own…and you've hidden the dangers of it all from your family to prevent them from worrying about you."

The room was silent except for the girls shuddering breaths and the faint sound of cicadas trickling in through her cracked window. He watched as her lower lip trembled and impulsively reached up to run his thumb across the smooth flesh. Her normally bright eyes were now a midnight blue instead of her usual sapphire.

"You don't think…it's my fault…?" Her distraught voice called out to him and he quickly rolled so that his back was facing the wall and tucked her against his side. With her head placed against his broad chest she could hear the thumping of his heart and feel the soothing rumble of his growl.

"It is _not_ your fault, in _any_ way," he assured her. He ran his hand across her back in an attempt to calm her, frowning when only more tears leaked from her cheeks. Seeming to overcome her earlier reservations, the girl wound her arms around his waist, fisting her hands in the soft fabric of his shirt.

He held onto her as she whimpered and cried within the safe cocoon of his arms, cooing and rumbling to soothe her raging emotions. It wasn't long until she relaxed, breath slowing to its normal tempo. "…I sorry…"

"Hm. For what?"

"For being mean…and crying all over your nice work shirt…" she whispered. The girl tightened her grip upon him, squirming until the top of her head was tucked up against the bottom of his chin. A soft sigh escaped her and tickled the sensitive skin along his neck.

"You needn't apologize. I'm simply here to calm a worrying miko's fears. And to kiss you, of course."

The girl playfully swatted his arm, lips ghosting suspiciously close to his flesh. "…You don't mind kissing a sniveling, snot nosed miko…?"

"Not at all."

"…Kiss me again…?"

He was only too happy to comply with her wishes, zooming in on her luscious lips. In no time at all they were trading needy caresses, soft sighs of content and longing swirling together to make a unique symphony. Kurama was satisfied as the smell of fear and distress completely dissipated from her scent and was replaced with happiness and a tinge of longing. _"If this is how I'm rewarded for helping her, I'll be sure to stick around if she's upset…"_

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**Hoped you liked it. A big thanks to all of you who reviewed. You're all just the inspiration I need to keep my updates in line and make it worth while. Please continue to review. -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	14. Judgement

THEME 14: JUDGEMENT

(Words: 358)

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Kagome knew something was up. She just _knew._ With the way her Ojii-chan was staring at them with that guarded look in his eyes and the way he ran a hand through his beard, it was obvious the rusty wheels were turning in his head. When her wizened grandfather reached into the sleeve of his haori accompanied with the tell-tale crinkling of paper, she tugged on the red-heads sleeve to warn him, but it was too late.

"DEMON BEGONE!" In no time at all grandpa Higurashi was gloating and preening over the sutra currently smushed between Kurama's eyes.

"I'm _so _sorry Kurama…!"

"Hmph. Thought you could hide your existence from me, did you, demon?" Mr. Higurashi crowed, pulling out another wad of papers from within his voluminous sleeves. "There's plenty more where that came from!"

To her relief, the kitsune merely chuckled and removed the harmless scratch of paper, returning it to the boggled older man. "I'm sure you were quite the exorcist in your day, Mr. Higurashi."

"Why…yes, yes I was. Better than any other of my brothers, in fact…"

"I felt quite a zap from that sutra. If you were any younger I surely would have ended up face down on the pavement."

Kagome was rather amused by the twinkle in the red-heads eyes. _"He's enjoying this!"_ They watched as the older man tugged at his silver beard thoughtfully, humming under his breath as he eyed the taller man speculatively. He finally nodded to himself and shuffled closer.

"You'll do," the old man wheezed. Kagome blinked, completely thrown off at her grandfather's words, and her jaw almost hit the pavement when the old man actually shook her love-interest's hand. She inched closer as he whispered something the red-head, whose shoulders shook with barely restrained laughter.

"Well," she began once he had wandered off, "What'd he say?"

The kitsune grinned at her. "He told me that it was a shame that I'm a demon, but I have his full permission to take your hand in marriage." His emerald eyes practically sparkled as she flushed to the roots of her hair.

"B-but…that's not…_graaaamps!_"

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**Review :D**


	15. Seeking Solstice

THEME 15: SEEKING SOLSTICE

(Words: 611)

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Hiei watched from his perch atop the Goshinboku calmly watching the girl using a slab of wood with a crude target drawn on it for archery practice. From the rigid posture of her back and the mechanical way she pulled back the taught string it was obvious something had upset her. For now he was content to simply keep an eye on her, waiting for her to speak about what was causing her such anger.

Flaring the tip of her arrow, the miko cursed as she released the flaming weapon. As expected, the wooden shaft dug into the ground a few inches in front of the target, and she felt her exasperation grow to dangerous heights. "Damn…_damn_!" she hissed between clenched teeth. The girl stomped over to retrieve her arrows, determinedly ignoring the familiar aura sitting in the god-tree above. As she turned around to stomp to her previous spot, it came as a surprise that the apparition was holding her bow with a look of boredom plastered across his face.

"Hn. You seem angry." He sounded indifferent, as if they were simply talking about the weather. It made her grind her teeth in irritation. "Speak onna. What has riled you up?"

"Not that it's your business…" the girl retorted, snatching the wooden weapon from his grasp, "but Kikyo just stole my shards."

"Hn. The undead priestess?"

"Yes, her." He watched with keen eyes as she pulled the string of the bow taught, arms trembling with the strain, as she sighted the target. Beads of sweat covered her brow, and she loosed the arrow. It again missed the target. "Damn!"

"You have exhausted yourself. Continuing this is pointless," he pointed out. The apparition shoved his hands in his pockets, calmly meeting her defiant gaze.

"You don't get it! I _have_ to get stronger!" Kagome growled. Placing her hands on her hips, she narrowed her eyes at his raised brow. Lowering her voice, she whispered, "_She _took my _shards_! If I can't even protect myself from Kikyo, how will I be able to help in the final battle with Naraku?"

So that was what was bothering her. Understandable, he guessed. He certainly wouldn't like being a sitting duck against a powerful opponent such as the evil hanyou. Taking care with his choice of words, he murmured, "Then perhaps you should learn to protect yourself within a close range, miko, rather than with your hama no ya. Naraku wouldn't simply stand back and stand still while you aim."

The girl visibly slumped, running a tired hand through her raven locks. "What should I do though…? Inuyasha would _freak_ if I learned how to fist fight…"

"Hn. Using simply your fists would not be adequate. You will need a weapon. And I have never seen you allow him to stop you from doing something you truly thought was right." Kagome blinked at the taller man, tilting her head thoughtfully. _"That almost sounded like a compliment…!" _Then an idea struck her.

"Hiei…will you teach me?" she murmured, looking at him through her bangs. The demon shifted for a moment before stiffly nodding.

"I will find you a suitable weapon…I will teach you when you are in this era. Ask the slayer for further instruction while you are in Sengoku Jidai."

He was pleasantly surprised when the woman suddenly flung herself at him, mindful of her sharp bow, and clutched him in a tight embrace. Topping it off with a quick kiss on the cheek, the girl grinned madly up at him. "Thank you Hiei!"

"…Hn. Go inside and rest, onna. You're of no condition to begin training today."

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**I personally always thought Kagome would be much more put out by her inability to protect herself adequately with just her miko powers, especially against people like Kikyo, so I meddled. XD Hope you liked it, and please review!**


	16. Excuses

THEME 16: EXCUSES

(Words:801)

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"Come _on_ Kagome!" Yuka huffed, taking an irritated swig of her WacDonalds shake. She and Eri glared at the blushing miko seated next to them with varying degrees of both irritation and amusement. The girl under their scrutiny nibbled on a fry while trying to ignore their pleas. "You _have _to introduce us to him! I mean, he's your boyfriend for goodness sake!"

"He is _not_ my b-boyfriend!" she squeaked. The girl looked out the window into the street. Hundreds of people hustled by on the busy Tokyo streets, most of them wearing some sort of school uniform or business suit. "We're not…dating or anything…"

Eri shoved a strand of her short hair behind her ear, sending her a skeptical glance. "But you practically are! I mean, you've _kissed_…!"

"Shhhh!" The long haired girl quickly lurched forward across the table to cover her friend's mouth, laughing nervously at the customers looking at them with raised eyebrows.

"C'mon Kagome, at least give us some more juicy details!"

The raven haired beauty chewed on her lip for a moment, blush strengthening. "Um…well…a few weeks ago we went to the beach with a few of his friends." The other girls scooted to the edge of the chair, obviously anxious for some fluff. "And…we played truth or dare."

"Wasn't that the night you kissed for the first time?"

"Yea…that was when I had to kiss Hiei on the cheek, too…" she mused.

Two girls promptly choked on their drinks. "What? Who's Hiei?"

"He's a friend of Kurama's. Kinda anti-social, but he's nice when he wants to be."

"I don't see how you get the attention of so many guys when you're always sick! It's _so _not fair!" Eri pouted.

Kagome quickly shook her head. "Hiei and I aren't like that guys! He's just a friend…"

"So how many times _have _you kissed Kurama?"

"Um…uh…"

"You've lost count?" Yuka cried. "Our Kagome's growing up and having make out sessions with hot boys!" The priestess stammered and blushed at her friends continued teasing until her face resembled a tomato. The obvious stares of amusement, curiosity, and disdain from the other customers within the shop certainly didn't help, either. Just as they were beginning to throw away their garbage and collect their purses, Kagome felt a familiar youki brush against her senses. Turning on her heel she squeaked at the presence of the kitsune they had just been madly gossiping about.

The taller man leaned against the white wall, wearing a pair of black slacks and a white button up shirt, accompanied by a light brown jacket to protect against the fall chill. With a purely predatory smirk the man took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Kagome."

"Hey, Kagome, who's the hottie?" Eri whispered. She and Yuka sized up the red-head appreciatively, raising their brows at the affectionate gesture he bestowed upon their blushing friend. They had no idea that the kitsune could hear every word.

"Um…uh, Kurama, this is Eri and Yuka. Guy's, this is Kurama…" she stammered. Noticing the twinkle in his green eyes she had the sneaking suspicion he had been here longer than she had noticed. The other two girls quickly surrounded him, their sentences overlapping with their excitement.

"We've heard so much about you…"

"How long have you been seeing Kagome?"

"Wow! Your hair is _so_ long…!"

"How old are you?"

"Where do you work at?"

"Do you have any brothers?"

Kurama chuckled at their eager questions, grabbing the embarrassed miko's hand. He tugged her close to his side and put his arm around her shoulder, noticing the sparkle in her friends' eyes at the contact. "I'm glad to hear that she's mentioned me. Must mean I'm doing something right." He couldn't help but send a mischievous wink towards his audience. "I'm twenty years old, and work as the vice president at a security company while attending college. And yes, I have a younger stepbrother."

"Wow! A vice president!" Yuka squealed, clapping her hands in front of her with suspiciously starry eyes. "Kagome, you sure know how to pick 'em!" Said girl hid her face in the side of her taller love-interest, pinching his hip when he chuckled.

"You're _so _gonna get it later, fox-boy…!" she hissed. "You planned this, didn't you?"

"Perhaps…"

"You two are _such _a cute couple!" Eri grinned. She and Yuka whispered conspiratorially for a moment, before nodding their heads. "Your kids are going to be adorable!"

It took them over half hour to wake up the fainted miko from her embarrassed slumber.

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**Hope you enjoyed. Remember, constructive criticism is ALWAYS acceptable. Let me hear your thoughts so that I can improve both my writing and, possibly, plot ideas. Never be too afraid to tell me your opinion. :) -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	17. Vengeance

THEME 17: VENGENCE

(Words: 945)

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"Hn. Again, onna." He watched as the young woman repeated the kata, critical eyes easily taking in the foot that was spread too far and the clumsiness of her block. "You haven't been practicing."

The girl finished with a roundhouse kick that was too slow for his liking, turning to bow with shaking limbs. "Well, s'cuse me for having to deal with a suicidal hanyou for the past few days," she grumbled. He raised a brow as she muttered for a few more moments before handing her a water bottle.

"What has the half breed done now?"

"He insists on fighting on his human night," she growled. She tipped back the container, closing her eyes as the sweet feeling of cold water trickled down her throat. "Miroku, Sango and I had to stay up all night, and just before dawn a horde of demons were sent by Naraku. I had to sit him a couple of times before he finally sat still and stayed in the hut."

"Hn. He has always been a fool," he agreed. It was silent as they sat companionably in the warm sunshine outside her family's shrine.

"Why did you implant the Jagan?" He swiveled his crimson orbs towards her, the question taking him by surprise. Why would the onna want to know?

"I was trying to find my mother."

The girl blinked at that. "You mean you lost her?"

"Hn. My mother was a koorime—an ice maiden. They are a small, remote village of women that reproduce asexually. I was the result of her breaking their law, and was considered an abomination. They dropped me off a cliff and left me to my own devices."

"Oh, that's _horrible_!" the girl cried. Now it was his turn to blink as she suddenly threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He could feel the tears leaking down her cheeks only to pool on top of his shirt. "Did you ever find her?"

"She was already dead."

The miko sniffled against his shirt, pulling away to look up at him with sorrowful eyes. "I'm _so _sorry!"

"Hn. You were not the one who threw me off the cliff, onna," he pointed out, raising a brow at her. No one had ever reacted like this to his history before. Then again, the onna was oddly sympathetic and known for foolish actions.

"But they never should have done that to you!" she said. "You were just a baby…!"

Hiei shifted in her grasp, uncomfortable with the scent of her tears. Gently taking her hand in his, he murmured, "I found my sister while I was there. I've kept watch on her ever since."

"Oh, you have a sister?" Her eyes immediately began shining again as she perked up.

"Hn. Yukina." The girl blinked and he could practically see the gears churning in her head.

"I guess that makes sense. She's got the same eyes as you, and you seemed protective of her at the beach party…"

"Hnn."

"I'm so happy you still have family left," she smiled. He endured another bout of hugging and overall well-wishes before the woman finally realized who exactly she was touching. "Oh, I'm sorry…you probably don't want me hanging off of you." With a large blush she untangled herself from his side, bouncing to her feet with a sheepish grin.

As she stretched her now sore muscles, he muttered, "I wasn't trying to find her for a friendly chat, miko. I wanted my revenge: the destruction of their entire village."

The expected horror and revulsion never came. Instead, she continued her stretches with a thoughtful tilt to her head. Finally, she said, "But you didn't. You planned on killing them, but decided not to. And now you have Yukina. Things always work out in the end, I always say." When she turned to give him one of those dazzling smiles of hers, his body moved almost without his consent.

Kagome froze as she was suddenly tugged into a warm embrace. Soft fabric brushed against her cheek as his arms held her tightly to his chest, an almost imperceptible growl rocking through his body. Forcing her surprise to the side, the miko gently returned the hug. _"He's just thankful that I'm not revolted…A lot of people have been so hurtful to him through the years, he was prepared to be rejected again." _

As she relaxed against him and stroked her hand up and down his back, the fire demon's eyes flashed. Tilting back her head with a swift tug on her ponytail, he covered his lips with his own. He could feel her body stiffen at the sudden intimacy but continued the gentle motion. He was only slightly surprised when her hands slid up to neck, tangling in the short hair at the base of his skull. When she began to pull away from him, opening her mouth to speak, he quickly silenced her in the best way he knew.

"_Is that his…?"_ The girl's eyes grew wide as the unmistakable feeling of his warm tongue slid into her mouth. She was soon lost in the sensation of tongue against tongue, sighing into his lips as her body trembled. So it came as a surprise when there was a sudden growl that vibrated within his chest, and then he was simply gone.

Stepping away until her back was pressed against the comforting trunk of the Goshinboku, she slid to her knees. She placed trembling fingers to her pink lips, wide eyed and confused. A pair of emerald eyes swam by in her mind, and she groaned, head falling into her hands. "Fuck…"

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**Even more drama for poor little Kagome. ;D Please review. -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	18. Love

THEME 18: LOVE

(Words: 722)

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Inuyasha's ears swiveled towards her as the teenage girl sighed for the tenth time, gritting his teeth at the highly annoying noise. Swinging towards her and ignoring the stares of both the monk and taijiya, he trapped her within his golden gaze. Scowling, he demanded, "All right wench, what the hell's going on?"

The girl fidgeted under their scrutiny and bit her lip. Being the center of attention was certainly nerve-wracking. "I-It's nothing." She blushed at his answering smile.

"You have seemed a little down lately, Kagome-sama," Miroku interjected. He shifted his stance to get a better look at her, the metal rings on his staff jangling in the clear summer day. "May we offer our assistance?"

"Just be sure to keep your hands to yourself, houshi," Sango warned. He resisted the urge to squirm under the intense aura radiating from the beautiful woman, instead clearing his throat and giving them all the sweetest smile he could muster.

"Why of course I'll behave myself. Kagome-sama is an innocent maiden who simply needs guidance. I would _never _take advantage of such womanly…"

"Stuff it Miroku," the hanyou grunted. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking at the fidgeting girl. A brown ball of fluff unfurled itself from the basket on her pink bicycle, yawning and stretching before focusing bright blue eyes on the young woman.

"C'mon kaa-san," Shippo muttered. "You know you can tell us anything."

After several more minutes of mumbling and avoiding eye contact, she finally gave in. "Um…You've all met Kurama."

"Ah, your obsessive kitsune."

"Y-yeah, him. Well, do you remember that fire demon we took care of a few weeks ago? The one with the eye on his forehead?"

Shippo scrunched his nose, unknowingly copying the hanyou's response. "How could we forget him? He wouldn't talk to anyone but _you_!"

"Mmhm. Well, he's still alive in my era," she began, blushing as they scooted closer to her.

"That certainly is intriguing, Kagome-sama. However, I doubt this is the reason for your current distress."

The demons within the group easily picked up on the hint of embarrassment twining around the blushing girl and leaned forward in curiosity. What could possibly have the young woman so much more out of sorts than usual? Finally she muttered, "K-kurama and I are kind of, well, uh, seeing each other…but the other day, Hiei…kissed me…"

"He _what_?" the hanyou roared. Her blushes reached an all new level as her silver haired friend ranted something about decapitation.

Sango stepped up to her younger friend, putting her arm around her with a small smile. "You're confused about who you want?" she questioned. They ignored the rumblings of the dog demon and the reprimands from the houshi, who was trying his best to calm the raging man to no avail. At her nod, the slayers eyes twinkled before she leaned in to whisper, "Why not have a bit of fun?"

"W-what?" Luckily her squeak did not catch their companion's attention.

"Well, Kurama-san hasn't asked you to…ah, what was your term…'date' you, has he?" She shook her head. "Hiei-san seems to be interested in you as well. Since you're torn between the two, yet neither of them has exclusively asked for your hand, why not entertain them both?"

The miko promptly began spluttering. "But…! Sango, I couldn't possibly…!" Her jaw practically hit the ground at the slayers miscievious wink. "I-I can't believe _you_, out of all people, are encouraging this!"

"I lived in a village full of men," the brunette shrugged. "None of them were serious, but I didn't want to totally shove them aside either. Plus, it's actually rather fun when you get used to it."

As she mulled over the taijiya's words, the ball of fluff that was Shippo stealthily jumped to her shoulders, balancing surprisingly well for a young kitsune. He eyed his dog-eared friend who was practically foaming at the mouth. "Geez, it's not like it's _that _big a deal. He's kissed you too!"

Blushing to the tips of her ears, the girl swiftly straddled her bike and peddled off, heading farther down the trail to escape her friends' words. _"I can't believe them…" _She sighed rather dramatically, slumping her shoulders in defeat. _"They're all hentai's…but they're my hentai's, I guess. Don't ask me why I love 'em…"_

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**I felt that her friends in Sengoku Jidai have missed a little spotlight. Hope you liked it. Please review! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	19. Tears

THEME 19: TEARS

(Words: 1,158)

"_**Youko"**_

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He knew something was wrong. As she fiddled with the hem of her skirt he could tell that her attention was not on their date. So he took her hand in his, pulling her sapphire orbs towards him. "What's on your mind, Kagome?" The dark lighting in the movie theater would have made it impossible for him to see her biting her bottom lip if it wasn't for his demonic eyesight.

She scooted closer to him, whispering, "I haven't gone out to watch a movie since before I was pulled into the well…"

Understanding lit his emerald eyes. "Not nearly as much fun as it used to be, is it?" At her embarrassed nod he tugged her to her feet, twining his fingers with hers and mumbling excuses as they stealthily exited the crowded theater. He tucked his jacket around her small form and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they wandered down the street. Bright neon lights lit up their path ever few feet or so, accompanied by the overall bustle of a large city.

When her eyes lingered on the gateway of a city park he altered his course. Within the shadows of the trees were small patches of moon shine that trickled through the bare branches. The patches of light made her pale skin fairly glow. They finally came across a wooden bench and sat in the cool night air, their breath creating large white clouds.

"…Thank you for taking me out tonight." Her voice was eerily loud in the quiet night.

"Mm." He tucked her beneath his arm and pulled her close to his side, placing a small kiss on the crown of her head. "You seem rather…distracted tonight, Kagome." She made a noncommittal noise in the back of her throat and cuddled closer. "Has something happened?" The girl shook her head, running her fingers against the fabric of his shirt. "_Something_ is obviously troubling you. You're not even looking at me."

It was silent a moment as she mulled over her thoughts. Shifting from her position in the crook of his arm, the priestess turned dark eyes up to him. Her voice wavered in the tranquility. "…We heard a rumor a few weeks ago about Naraku's whereabouts. He was supposed to be up north, at the top of a mountain. When we got there…he was gone. But…" She paused, taking a quavering breath before plunging ahead. "There were…bodies."

The kitsune tightened his grip on her, rubbing his hand against her arm comfortingly. "They were dead," he finished, voice unusually low. He let loose a stream of air, pushing her bangs from her forehead. Placing a gentle kiss against the creamy skin, he asked, "Was this your first time seeing so many dead?"

As she tucked her legs beneath her and laid her head against his chest, she said, "No…but it doesn't get any easier."

"I don't believe it ever does." He temporarily panicked at the tell-tale scent of tears, squished the instinctive urge to curl around her, and instead tucked his nose close to the top of her head to quell his instincts with her scent. "You're upset…"

"I wish Naraku was dead…so many people have _died _because of him!" she exclaimed. Trembling fingers tightened a fistful of his shirt before she quieted. "I wish this was all over…but at the same time I don't."

"And why is that?"

She paused for a moment and listened to the gentle pulsing of his heartbeat to calm her flailing thoughts. "Once the Shikon is whole and the wish is made…we're not sure what will happen. I might be stuck in Sengoku Jidai, or sent back here…"

Kurama stiffened at that, a growl vibrating through his chest at the thought of losing the beauty sheltered in his arms. He chose his next words with care, eyes flashing golden in the night light. "…You don't wish to lose your friends."

"No…they mean so much to me," she whispered.

"_**Say something to her red!"**_ The avatar shifted at the sound of his usually dormant other half's demand, smelling another wave of tears.

A pair of strong fingers brought her face to face with her date, his eyes now fully golden. When he spoke his voice was abnormally deep and sent shivers down her spine. "I don't know what will happen, Ka-go-me…but know that whichever side you may live on, there will _always_ be friends there to hold you up."

He wasn't sure what happened next. One moment she was looking up at him with her trembling lip and the next she was straddling his lap, clinging to him as small sobs shook her body. Wrapping his arm around her waist he tried his best to keep his hands in neutral territory despite their compromising position. Large puffs of air buffeted the sensitive skin of his neck, her black hair tumbling over her shoulder to mix with his own.

"_S-she's wearing a skirt…"_

The kitsune within his mind sighed in a dramatic fashion, settling closer to the surface of consciousness to wrap their arms tighter around the younger woman. Rumbling deep within their throat, he purred, _**"Mmm, yes she is…sadly, this is hardly the time to begin seducing her."**_

Kurama tried his best not to move underneath her, sure that if he moved just slightly to the left, the poor girl would realize just how happy his body was to be in this position. _"I'm surprised, Youko. Usually you'd have a fit if we didn't take advantage of a situation like this…" _He bit his cheek to withhold a groan as she wriggled closer, her sniffles doing nothing to calm his overheated body.

"_**We'd only succeed in spooking her if we took advantage," **_the silver haired man tsked. He influenced their body to nuzzle the girl's temple and press a lingering kiss against her skin. _**"Then there wouldn't be **__any __**contact with our raven haired beauty."**_

As he contemplated his inner self's sudden cautiousness, he barely noticed as the girl stopped her shaking to lean back and look into his eyes. "Are you all right, Kagome…?" At her small nod, he gave her a gentle smile. "You can always come to me if you're upset. I don't like seeing you struggle on your own…"

It was only slightly surprising when she swooped down to capture his lips in a gentle kiss. While eagerly returning the gesture, he tried his best to keep his body under control. _"It would be horrible for her to realize just how attracted I am to her by being so excited…"_

"_**Don't worry red. I'll keep it from getting out of hand. Just make sure to take our girl home before this gets any more heated."**_

"_Our girl…?"_

"_**Hmph. Of course she's ours, even if it isn't official yet. We couldn't find another woman like her in a thousand years. No way are we letting her go."**_

"_Agreed."_

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**Thank you all for your wonderful review. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. :) Please continue to read and review! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	20. My Inspiration

THEME 19: MY INSPIRATION

(Words: 402)

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Kurama watched as the girl flawlessly flowed through the kata, raising his brow in surprise. _"She's certainly been practicing! Hiei just taught this to her yesterday!" _The sound of sweeping reached his ears as grandpa Higurashi puttered around the compound, feigning indifference to his granddaughter's graceful movements. If one looked carefully, you could see the appreciative twinkle in his eyes. He came back to the situation at hand as the girl finished with a flourish, turned towards him with closed eyes, and executed a formal bow.

"Absolutely brilliant, Kagome," he purred. The girl sat at his side beneath the Goshinboku, taking a gulp of the offered water. He draped his arm across her shoulders and tugged her closer. Ignoring her giggle, he added, "You're coming along very quickly. It would take most people days to learn that kata, but I noticed no flaws when you performed it!"

Sapphire eyes shone up at him and he couldn't help the silly grin that crossed his face. This woman made him act like a love-struck teenager at the best. "I have to learn fast so I can help the others," she said. They scooted closer to escape the chill winter air, watching a brittle leaf as it tumbled through the sky. "Besides, I have motivation."

"Oh really? And what would that be?"

Kagome tapped her lips thoughtfully. "Well, Naraku's five hundred years in the past. I figure that if I can make a difference that far back in time, it'll make things safe here, in the future."

"Hmm."

"For Souta, Mama, Jii-chan, Yuka and Eri, your friends…I have people I need to protect."

The red-head tugged a lock of her hair, brushing a kiss against the grinning girl's lips. "It's important for you to have someone to protect…?"

"Well, someone else is always protecting me. _I_ want to protect someone for a change," she blushed. The girl squeaked when he pulled her flush against him, lips pressing against hers urgently. Distracted by the soft, warm sensations he was causing, she didn't notice their audience.

Souta, Jii-chan, and Mrs. Higurashi stood on the concrete sidewalk not ten feet away, each with similar expressions of amusement. The elder man held out his hand as he exclaimed, "Pay up!"

They gave him a wad of bills, grumbling all the while.

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**Couldn't help but add a bit more fluff. I'm rather addicted to it. Please continue to read and review! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	21. Never Again

THEME 21: NEVR AGAIN

(Words: 305)

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"Were you in love with him?"

Kagome looked up from her trigonometry homework, surprised by the abrupt question. The red-head sat on the very edge of her bed and avoided her gaze. "Who?"

"Inuyasha. Did you love him?"

The silence stretched uncomfortably between them as she gathered her thoughts. What had prodded this line of questioning after knowing one another for so long? She pushed her books to the side and scooted closer to him, tucking her legs beneath her as she laid a hand on his knee. "Yes, I did…"

The muscles on his legs were bunched tight. He determinedly stared out the window with his jaw held stiff in an attempt to appear calm. When he spoke again his voice was so soft she barely heard him. "…Do you still…?" Understanding dawned in her eyes. Gently tilting his head in her direction, her heart ached at the misery in his emerald orbs.

"Kurama…I was in love with him from the moment I saw him. But he couldn't stop loving Kikyo. I still love him, but not in the same way as before…"

"…Then what is he to you now?"

"He's my friend. Almost like an older brother…nothing more, nothing less." She allowed the avatar to pull her into his arms, curling around him in an effort to reassure him. The steady thumping of his heart against her cheek was unbelievably soothing and soon her eyelids fluttered closed.

"You don't think you'll go back to him…?"

"Never again. He's much too bossy for my tastes." She giggled as a growl vibrated deep in his chest to tickle against her skin. "Besides, lately my taste has run more towards…"

"Hmm?"

The girl wriggled closer to him, lips hovering over his ear. "Kitsune." Her giggle was promptly cut off by a rather eager kitsune more than ready to show her just how much her words meant to him.

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**Mm, fluff. Read and tell me your comments. -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	22. Online

THEME 22: ONLINE

(Words: 512)

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Kagome fidgeted in her seat and tried to ignore the stare that was burning against the back of her neck. It was unnerving to have someone so entirely focused upon you, so she tried to bend her attention towards the computer screen. "_Stupid _computer…! Urgh!" She jabbed at the keyboard, feeling a headache beginning to form in her left temple.

"Hn. Beating the device senseless will likely only result in its destruction." Well, damn. There went trying to ignore the fire demon.

Turning with a huff, arms crossed over her chest, she grumbled, "It's not _my _fault it's the slowest, oldest, _stupidest _computer ever!" The intensity of his eyes made her pause. Gaze trailing down to his lips, she blushed and quickly looked away. The last time they had been alone, he had… Shaking her head to rid herself of embarrassing thoughts, she stammered, "I-I'm just trying to get online…it's taking so long…"

Something warm landed on her shoulder, startling her from her thoughts. She shivered as a feather light caress tickled from her shoulder, to her neck, and then her cheek. The rapid thumping of her heart beat against her ribcage, almost as if it was fighting to escape from her chest. Trembling, she turned towards the source of the affectionate touch, saw a pair of glowing red orbs, and was abruptly tugged into a mind numbing kiss.

With a passion that would have made her knees buckle had she been standing up, he delved deeply into her mouth, exploring every nook and cranny. The sensation of his tongue stroking against hers made her moan and lean into his caress, thoughts scattered to the winds. He fisted his hand in her long tresses at the base of her neck, tilting her head for better access. His growl was doing interesting things to the spot between her legs, and she held them tightly shut.

When they had to come up to breath he blazed a trail of fiery kisses down the line of her jaw, pausing on a spot on her neck. A gasp escaped her as he nibbled on the sensitive flesh, tongue darting out to alternately sooth and caress. Her blood was pumping loudly, too loudly; she couldn't think, couldn't form a coherent sentence. The few thoughts she was able to hold for more than a second were completely, utterly senseless. _"I wonder what mama would say if she knew what goes on in my bedroom…" _

One moment she was wriggling beneath his sinful tongue, and then, just like last time, he was just _gone._ She turned dazed eyes towards her computer, noticing distractingly that the internet had finally connected. "I'm in deep shit…" she moaned, dropping her head onto her desk. Tugging at her raven hair with both hands, she took deep breaths to calm her racing blood. "Kurama…and then Hiei…dammit, what do I _do_?" So deep in her thoughts, she didn't find out until late that night that the fire demon had marred her neck with a hickey. "Double shit!"

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**I've just realized just how many people are reading this story. Quite an impressive number and I'm positively thrilled that so many of you have continued to read! :) I hope you all continue to do so and I'll repay your kindness with lots of fluff. –Master of all Perv's, out!**


	23. Failure

THEME 23: FAILURE

(Words: 1,230)

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**This one has a bit of citrus content (I believe that's what it's called, anywho). Not for anyone underage or squeamish.**

* * *

She was _not _going to fidget. Nope. No matter how long he stared at her with those green-gold eyes, no matter how much he narrowed them, she wasn't going to move a muscle. Tugging the scarf tighter against her neck, she tried to continue their conversation as if nothing was different. As if she didn't have a hickey from another man on her neck. "Sota has a basketball game this Saturday that I just have to go to. I've missed so many of his other games, what with traveling in Sengoku Jidai and all. This one's one of the most important in the season. Did you know they're third in the junior league?"

It was obvious he wasn't paying one bit of attention to her words. He tapped his fingers against the concrete of the shrine steps, tilting his head to one side as he glared at her. Now and then his nose would wriggle in a manner that was reminiscent of her kit, and she babbled all the more. "I don't know where he got the athletic genes from. Mama's no good at them and I'm so clumsy that I normally end up helping the other team and Ojii-chan isn't interested in anything that doesn't involve demon's…"

Her sentence was abruptly interrupted when his nimble fingers unwrapped the soft cloth from her neck, revealing the mark to the cold winter air. She tried her best to hide it from his gaze but stilled at the growl that shot through the silence. A trembling finger tugged back the edge of her coat and she held her breath as he lightly traced the mark. "K-Kurama…I…I didn't mean…"

"_He _did this!" His voice was deeper, the sound more of a snarl than his typical smooth flowing voice. "Dirty, rotten…!" It was hard to stay still as he glared at her with those amber eyes, and she bit her lip under his scrutiny.

"I didn't mean…he just kinda…Kurama, I'm _so _sorry!"

When he tugged her into his arms she remained perfectly still, tears pooling at the back of her eyelids. His youki twined around hers in a sudden spike as he jumped to his feet, easily holding the quivering girl in his arms, and raced into the forest. The wind tore at her eyes and made the tears she had tried holding back to leave wet trails against her cheeks. As the wind stopped flapping quite so dramatically she peeked up from the safety of his arms.

What she saw made her gasp. In the place of her red-headed love interest stood someone else entirely. His loose clothes were as white as the snow, soft and pliant in her hands. Silver hair framed a deadly, beautiful face with narrowed golden eyes. Sitting at the top of his head was a pair of triangular, twitching ears. "K-Kurama…?"

A low rumble shook his frame as he ducked down to glare straight into her eyes. His molten orbs held her captive in their embrace, flickering like firelight. "Hnn, I wish we could have met under much more… favorable conditions, Ka-go-me." The rich voice that emanated from his lips made her spine tingle. "However, this cannot be ignored." Something tickled against her thigh, and she blinked down at a silver tail that was lazily winding around her leg. A light bulb seemed to go off in her head, and she peered shyly up into his face.

"Are you…Youko?" His answering purr sent vibrations to places she would rather not be aware of at the moment.

"I always knew my girl was smart…"

Before she could question the 'my girl' comment, her lips were caught in a searing kiss. Her head was tilted back by a pair of gentle claws that tugged insistently on her ponytail, releasing it from its captivity to run through her raven tresses. She gasped as a pair of fangs nibbled on her lower lip, allowing him to slip within her depths. His tongue danced with hers in a way that would have made her knees buckle if he hadn't been holding her up. If the kisses weren't distracting enough, what he did next was positively evil.

He lowered them to the ground, keeping his grip upon her, and guided her legs around his waist so that she was straddling his waist. With just her skirt on and promptly pushed out of the way, only the thin layer of her panties and his trousers separated them from becoming better acquainted with one another. His strong arms pressed her as snugly to him as he could, and she dazedly realized they fit rather well against one another. She could _feel_ his rigid maleness against her hot core and groaned shamelessly.

When he pulled his lips from hers she whimpered pitifully, wishing to prolong the contact. A series of kisses trailed along her throat, pausing next to her ear. "I will be the only one to touch you like this," he whispered, nibbling her earlobe and causing her to shiver deliciously against him. He purred when her breath caught in her throat at the gentle attention, returning to her lips for another heated kiss.

Her mind was in a lusty haze when his hand moved from her waist and tickled across the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. Tensing only for a moment at the intimate touch, she wrapped her arms around his neck and groaned as he rubbed the sensitive flesh. The feeling of his breath against her skin and the feeling of his hand stroking the most intimate part of her sent her mind into a fog. She was far gone from coherent thought.

"K-Kurama…"

_"Youko! Don't go too far!"_

When the woman started to move restlessly against him, he heaved a sigh. He pressed a series of kisses against her neck as he pulled his hand away from her to pull her closer. "We have to stop, love," he murmured. The fox raised a brow when she let loose a sound suspiciously akin to a growl and tightened her legs around him. Ignoring the jolt of heat that action sent to his groin, he continued, "As much as I'd love to continue, Ka-go-me, your mother is probably wondering where you've disappeared to…"

"I'm…sorry…"As her breathing slowly returned to normal, she was highly aware of the pulse that shot through his body, and then the tell-tale shifting of his body returning to normal. A soft kiss on the crown of her head confirmed her suspicions.

Kurama ran a hand through her hair as he fought to keep his body's response to their position under control. "I don't blame you, Kagome…" He tightened his arms around her, very aware of the way her breasts pressed against his chest with her harsh breathing. The combined smell of his scent winding around her and her obvious arousal made him purr possessively. "Only Youko or I will be the only ones to touch you…"

He held her in his arms for the better part of an hour, neither of them willing to move just yet. When her breathing slowed in sleep, he stood up carefully and began the long walk back to the shrine. Looking down at her flushed, beautiful face, both his and Youko's voice combined to rumble, "_Mine_."

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**Mmm, couldn't help myself. Most of the stuff I've written lately is cute fluff, and I felt that we needed a bit more serious relationship scenes. Feel free to ask any and all questions, make any and all comments and/or creative criticism, and review, of course. –Master of all Perv's, out!**


	24. Rebirth

THEME 24: REBIRTH

(Words: 1,039)

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A sharp _twang _announced the release of her arrow. The fire demon strolled behind her house, following the steady rhythm. He finally found her on the outskirts of the forest behind her family's shrine. What he saw made him pause.

The girl had multiple targets set at both ground level and hanging in the branches of the surrounding trees. Each target sported a barrage of white fletched arrows whose shafts were unusually deep into its surface. What really caught his attention was the aura crackling around the young woman. While undeniably pure, it churned and rolled around her in a suffocating halo. It was practically screaming anger.

When she finally seemed to notice his presence he was greeted with an intense glare. Her sapphire eyes were as dark as night and a strange silver marking sat just above her brow. "What do you want, demon?" The fire demon blinked at the oddly echoing voice that sounded so different from the girl's usual chirpy tone, but stood his ground even as her aura writhed threateningly.

"Hnn. Something's happened," he observed, eyeing her carefully. Still wearing that insufferably short school uniform, the miko looked utterly ridiculous with a sword strapped around her waist. Ridiculous, yet intimidating.

A smirk crossed her face as she lowered her bow, holding the weapon against her shoulder in an uncharacteristic show of arrogance. "Mmm…ah, yes, you're the Jaganshi she spoke of. Not much to look at, are you?" she purred. Deciding to ignore the barb, he narrowed his eyes at the priestess.

"You are not Kagome. Identify yourself."

"Smart little Youkai…yes, dear, I know he's a friend," she murmured, for all the world seeming to talk to herself. The woman played with a strand of Kagome's black hair, something so similar to the actual owner of that body it was eerie. "But _I_ have not met him, nor this kitsune you mentioned."

Pretending to remain calm even as he burned with unanswered question, he crossed his arms over his chest and gave her his best glare. "Answer, woman. What have you done to the miko?"

The woman twirled her bow distractedly. "Oh, no need to worry yourself, Jaganshi. She's safe in here." She tapped her knuckles against her temple, tilting her head as she listened to something he could not hear. "Mmm…oh fine, since she insists. I am Midoriko, dweller of the Shikon no Tama. I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, however, I have my doubts as to your character."

To say that he was surprised was an understatement. In his defense, he managed to contain that surprise to a simple widening of the eyes. Curious, he questioned, "How is that possible?"

"My dear little Kagome needs strength if she is to defeat Naraku," the woman supplied. He shifted uncomfortably as a sudden burst of pure energy surrounded her outstretched hand. The pink flames licked lovingly along her tender flesh but did not burn. She extinguished it simply by closing her hand into a fist. "I am simply allowing her to feel and become accustomed to the correct way to release her powers to their full effect."

"Hn. She wished for you to take control of her body?" he questioned, clearly recalling a conversation with the young miko about her fear of being possessed. It was hard to think that the girl who and trembled and panicked about Tsubaki's control over her body would actually agree to such a thing.

"After assuring her that I would return her body to her after our sessions, yes," Midoriko sniffed. "I wouldn't _force_ the poor dear into this!" He watched in amusement as the woman murmured to herself for a few more moments, obviously speaking to the young woman whose body she was in control of. Heaving a sigh she nodded and slid steely black eyes towards the black clad demon. "She wishes to come back. Do I have your word you will not attack us while the transference occurs?"

"I give you my word."

Something suspiciously similar to a snort escaped the beauty's lips. She closed her cold eyes, holding her hands clasped before her. A surge of a more familiar purity climbed into existence, dwarfed next to the magnificence of the ancient priestess's ki. He watched in fascination as both the markings on her forehead and her power simply sank into her skin until they disappeared. A soft exhale escaped her as she blinked open bright sapphire eyes.

"Hiei!" she exclaimed. A pretty smile burst onto her face as she dropped her bow and scrambled towards him for a bone crushing hug. Her excited chatter left little room for comment, but he was content to simply hold her in his arms. "I didn't realize Midoriko was quite so…intimidating, but isn't she wonderful? I can already shoot farther than I used to, and she's going to teach me how to heal demons without purifying them!"

"Hn. Surprising, considering her distaste for youkai."

"Oh, she's kind of like Inuyasha, if you think about it. Gruff on the outside but kind inside. She's really very nice, just guarded."

"What brought about this sudden desire to increase your miko powers?" he questioned.

Kagome paused at that, frowning down at the ground from where her head rested against his chest. "…Kikyo stole my Jewel shards," she said. He felt her grip tighten on him and obligingly pulled her closer. "I wasn't able to stop her. Then, when we finally got another shard, Midoriko spoke to me. She can train me; help me harness my powers so that I can _do _something other than be a damsel in distress. Isn't it wonderful?"

The hopeful, beautiful, dazzling smile she gave him would have made it difficult to argue, if he'd wanted to. "Hn. You're happy?"

"Yes."

"Then so am I."

* * *

**A big thank you to ShikiKira, who informed me of my pronoun issue. (The examples especially helped!) I'll be much more careful in the future, thanks! Anyone else who may notice a problem in the future, I would welcome your observations with open arms. Typos are a personal irritation of mine, so let me know. Thanks for reading, and please review! –Master of all Perv's, out!**


	25. Breaking Away

THEME 25: BREAKING AWAY

(Words: 585 )

* * *

"It's _so _nice to have a break…"

A chorus of giggle's escaped from the girls sitting on the floor. A koorime, a spirit guide, two humans, and a reincarnated priestess watched the screen with silly grins. "Isn't he just yummy?" Botan sighed, popping a piece of licorice into her pink mouth. The other's hummed in agreement as they each munched on their preferred junk food.

Many of them squealed when the hunky man removed his shirt, no longer paying attention to the plot so much as the rippling muscles on full display. Once the movie ended they sat around in a circle to begin the juicy gossip that always seemed to happen at sleepovers.

"C'mon, Kagome," Shizuru prodded, shoving back a handful of hair from her face. Tonight, instead of her usual cigarette, she held a strawberry sucker between her lips. "Give us the details 'bout lover boy."

Feeling her face heat up at the topic, the girl merely shook her head. "Please, Kagome?" Keiko said. They all scooted closer, murmuring agreements.

"…What do you want to know…?"

"How good is he at kissing?" the spirit giggled. She played with the edge of her fuzzy pink pajamas and winked at the blushing girl. "Being a kitsune, I'm sure he's a knockout, but you never know…"

"H-he's…um…good…?"

Shizuru _humphed_ impatiently. "You don't sound too sure there, girly."

"I-I've only kissed two people other than him…"

"Really? Who?"

"Inuyasha…"

"Figures. Who's the other lucky man?" Botan questioned eagerly.

The girls all frowned at her sudden fidgeting, her eyes darting across the room to avoid their glances. "Kagome…?" Her voice was so low they almost didn't hear her.

"…Hiei…"

Four pairs of eyes widened. "_What?_"

"I-It was only a few times…" She blushed all the harder at the barrage of question that were promptly thrown at her.

"When did this happen?"

"Who started it?"

"Does Kurama know about this?"

She buried her head in her hands, feeling faint. "I-I didn't _want _to…!"

The room became unusually silent as they digested her words. Scooting closer to the trembling girl, the koorime placed a gentle hand against her shoulder. "He didn't…force you, did he…?"

Kagome shook her head and burrowed closer to the floor. "No…b-but…"

"Spit it out, girly. Maybe we can help."

"W-well…" She took a deep, steadying breath, and continued. "He just sorta…kissed me, one day while we were training, and again a few days later. It wasn't like I wanted to…but…"

Shizuru hummed and leaned forward. "Kinda hard to think when he's shoving his tongue down your throat, eh?" The miko ducked her head as another blush covered her face, but nodded. Curious, she questioned, "So…who do you want to be with?"

That was something she _could_ answer. "Kurama."

"You have to talk with Hiei," Keiko said firmly. She shook her finger in the other girl's direction in a very motherly fashion. "Tell him your flattered and all, but you're not interested. Men are difficult that way; you have to be real blunt with some of them to get your point across."

Kagome sighed. "It's _never _this hard in Sengoku Jidai…Koga's never serious when he tries proposing…and the others kidnapped me, so _that _was an obvious decision…"

"What?"

* * *

**Woohoo, a quarter of the way done! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and comments, they've helped immensely with both my writing, grammar, and inspiration. Please continue to read my humble story, and review, of course. –Master of all Perv's, out!**

* * *

**P.S. I'm currently considering finding a beta to help make sure that my grammer, etc, is acceptable. Only problem is, I'm not too sure how it works. Anyone interested, or anyone who can explain it to this addled authoress, I would be much indebted to you. ^_^ **


	26. Forever And A Day

THEME 26: FOREVER AND A DAY

(Words: 1,760)

* * *

She hummed along to the music as the last ribbon was finally tied in place, turning over the decorated square for its final inspection. Satisfied, she gently placed in into her usual yellow back pack before standing up to stretch her sore muscles. "Finally!" Picking up the bag with an unusual amount of enthusiasm, even for the normally perky miko, she bounced down the stairs. Stopping at the entrance to don her coat, scarf, boots, and gloves, she shouted, "Mama! I'm going now!"

Mrs. Higurashi poked her head out of the kitchen with a smile. "Be sure to say hello to everyone for me. Oh, do you have those candies I bought for Shippo?"

"Yup, first thing I packed," she answered, patting the bulging bag affectionately. Once her sturdy boots were beaten into place, she gave her mother a tight hug. "I'll be back tomorrow morning first thing, to be here for all those presents you got me!"

Slipping out the front door after a few more moments of well wishes, she almost ran into the chest of a very tall kitsune. She was immediately swept into a bone crushing hug. "Hello, Ka-go-me." His voice, as usual, sent a thrill of excitement down her spine that she fought down. It certainly wouldn't do to start tripping over herself and giggle.

Returning the embrace, she smiled up at him. "Kurama! On time, as usual. Ready to go?"

"Lead the way." He somehow managed to snag the bag from her shoulders without a fuss, following the humming girl towards the well house. The feeling of her hand in his warmed him from the inside out.

"_**Hmph, sappy wimp."**_

"_What was that, Youko?"_ He could practically see the kitsune in his mind, legs and arms crossed. His alter was just too predictable.

"_**All you're doing is holding her hand, red! What we **__should__** be doing is wrapping those delicious legs around us again…"**_

"_While I don't disagree that it would be nice, today is not the time for such things." _Now the ridiculous demon was pouting. Sometimes, Kurama was sure that the kami were out to get him.

They were through the well before his inner self finally stopped mumbling. He pulled the girl close to his side, wrapped an arm around her waist, and vaulted them into the clearing. As she rearranged her skirt he politely averted his eyes, much to the annoyance of Youko. A streak of brown caught his eye and he smiled as the small fox kit launched himself at the girl.

"Kagoooomeee!" She barely caught him in time, laughing and spinning with him in her arms as she gave him a tight hug. "I missed you!" Blue eyes flickered in the older man's direction, and he added, "You too, Nii-chan!"

"It is good to see you again, Shippo." Holding up the yellow bag for the younger kits eager eyes, he said, "Shall we hurry to the village? I'm sure everyone else is just as eager to see Kagome as you."

The kit was an ecstatic ball of energy on the way to Kaede's hut, jumping back and forth between their shoulders and making an overall nuisance of himself. "…Kaede Baa-chan made her special stew tonight! I can't wait till we eat…cause then I can eat some of the Po-ki sticks of yours, Kagome!" He immediately switched his attention to Kurama, exclaiming, "I'm jealous of you, Nii-chan! You get to eat all the ninja food you want!"

Only slightly amused by the thought of modern food being dubbed 'ninja food', he merely chuckled. When they reached the hut he pulled back the heavy straw matting, bowing in a rather foolish manner that had the miko giggling at his antics. Following her into the overcrowded home he returned greetings with both the suspiciously red faced monk (who happened to have an equally low sake bottle) and the taijiya, reserving a polite nod for the grumpy hanyou seated in the corner.

"Why, Kagome-sama, your bag is suspiciously full for only one night's stay." The eager tone of the houshi's voice and the gleam in his eye made it obvious as to his intentions.

Kagome too happily obliged, dragging the bag next to her seat, while patting the empty space next to her for the red-head to sit in. Once he was settled she disappeared within the depths of the bag, muttering quietly to herself. Finally finding what she was looking for, she pulled out a fist sized, purple wrapped box. "Merry Christmas, Miroku!"

She beamed as the man reverently accepted the gift, gently untying the gift from its beautiful wrapping. They all leaned in closer to get a good look as he finally popped the box open. "Ah, new ink!" he exclaimed, holding out the square block for inspection. The monk executed a fairly impressive bow considering he was seated. "Thank you for your gracious gift, Kagome sama! It will be most useful on our quest!"

Disappearing yet again within the yellow confines of her back pack, she emerged holding a pink present in one hand and a blue one in the other. Giving the pink to Sango, the other to Shippo, she fidgeted happily as they opened their presents. The slayer received a new lacquered comb to pin her hair back with, while the kit received a jumble of new toys. As she repeated this process with the hanyou, Kaede, and even Kirara, Kurama leaned back against the wall with a content sigh.

"_**Nothing like spending Christmas Eve with our girl…"**_

"_Agreed…"_

"_**Though it would be **__much __**more fun if we could sneak her outside for some alone time…You know, she'd probably let us…"**_

"_Stop right there, Youko. I'm perfectly content sitting here, and I don't want Shippo or Inuyasha smelling where your thoughts are taking us." _

Before the fox could retaliate with an inventive curse for where the hanyou could shove it, a soft pressure against his arm brought him back to the hut. Blinking open his eyes in the flickering firelight, he looked down to see Kagome looking at him with concern. "Kurama…? Are you ok?"

Ignoring the huffing hanyou in the corner, he placed his hand atop hers with a grin. "Just talking to Youko, love."

"You can talk to him?" she blinked. At his nod, she tilted her head. "Can he hear what I'm saying?" Another nod and she narrowed her eyes and poked him in the chest in a way that was not nearly as intimidating as she thought it was. "What kind of girl do you think I am, Youko? You can't just go and do…_stuff_ to someone the first time you meet hem!" Kurama wasn't able to hide his snort at that.

"_**Why that little minx…She certainly wasn't complaining at the time!"**_

"_Hate to say I told you so, but…" _

"_**Oh, shut it red…" **_

As his alter sulked off in the corner of his mind, Kurama brought her hand to his lips, pressing a small kiss against the smooth skin of her palm. "Youko heard…"

"He doesn't seem like the type to apologize…" the girl muttered. She blushed under his attention, very aware of the lecherous grin the monk was shooting her, the raised eyebrow from Shippo and Sango, the twinkling of Kaede's one eye, and the low growl of a certain silver haired inuyoukai sitting in the corner. Within a corner of her mind, she also heard a suspicious snicker from the pink light she associated with Midoriko.

"Sadly, no." His grin sent another tingle down her spine, and she jerkily removed her hand from his tempting grasp. Hiding the rude disentanglement by diving back inside her bag, she pushed a green present into his outstretched hand.

"Merry Christmas, Kurama…"

Curious, he set aside the teasing comment tingling on his lips to unwrap the box. Carefully untying the ribbon that had been artfully arranged, he blinked at what he saw. Inside the square cardboard was a collection of…

"Seeds…?"

"_**Interesting gift, that…certainly not what I was hoping for, but…"**_

Blushing at the other's dumbfounded looks; she scooted closer and picked up one of the oval seeds. "I asked Shippo all about them. After I saw you with your rose whip, I was really curious. H-he said that you could use these for all sorts of things; healing, fighting, tracking…A-and I thought that maybe you couldn't find some of these in the modern era…so Shippo helped me collect some that might be useful…"

Plucking the seed from her hand, his ki flared a bright green against his fingertips as he brought the small oval to life. Kagome gasped as it transformed into a rose right before her eyes. He brushed aside a strand of her hair and placed the flower above her ear, giving her a bright smile.

"It's perfect, Kagome," he murmured. Then he did something that surprised everyone, including himself. Urged on by Youko, who exerted just the right amount of control, he pressed his lips against hers in a chaste kiss.

"Oi, what the hell?"

"You get her, Nii-chan…!"

"K-Kagome…"

"Oh, my…"

"Praise be to Buddha! Dinner _and _a show!"

The expected _thwack _jolted the blushing couple back to reality. The miko leaned against the wall next to him, attempting to hide her face with a curtain of her raven hair.

Kaede cleared her throat, her one eye shining. "Soup, anyone…?"

* * *

Later that night she blinked drowsily in the firelight, a blanket cuddled around her shoulders. She could feel the warmth of Kurama's arm around her even through the thick material, and felt rather smug that such a hunk was with _her_ on Christmas night. It would certainly make Yuka and Eri quite jealous once she told them.

Within the shadows cast by the uneven light, she could just make out the huddled figures of her companions. Inuyahsa was perched upright against his usual wall, Tetsusaiga propped against his shoulders, ears twitching as the fire cracked and fizzed. Kaede lay on her futon, burrowed beneath the warmth of a modern blanket. Sango lay on the floor with Kirara, suspiciously close to the houshi, who was sprawled beneath his own blanket, the bottle of empty sake still clenched in his fist. Shippo was curled up next to her side, his small foot bobbing every now and then as he dreamt.

Warmth blossomed in her chest for the motley group. "We may not be the typical hero's," she thought, snuggling closer to the kitsune, "But we're together, forever, no matter what happens…" And she fell asleep propped up in warm arms, surrounded by friends of both the past and the future.

* * *

**Wee bit of a break from all the seriousness. I wanted to somehow combine both the past and present, and this little idea popped up. Also, remember that I will always love any and all reviews. However I also want you to remember that if you don't like this story, which is perfectly fine, then you don't have to read it. Constructive criticism is acceptable, so long as it pertains to this story. Hope you liked it, and please continue to review. I'm very honored that you have all stuck with me so far. :) –Master of all Perv's, out!**

**P.S. Thank you for all the information involving Beta-ing. I'm currently looking into it for future chapters **


	27. Lost And Found

THEME 27: LOST AND FOUND

(Words: 1,495)

* * *

Another splattering of blood covered his previously pristine white collared shirt as his whip slashed through the bear youkai's gut. The sound of tearing flesh and crunching bone which would cause many to grind their teeth was simply another sound to him, almost as familiar as the sound of the leaves rustling in the wind or the sound of traffic in the thick of the city. To his other half, it was practically music. **"Nothing like a good killing."**

Rather indifferent to situation, Kurama merely hummed noncommittally. Once he dispatched yet another ten foot tall bear he took stock of his surroundings. The last of the rampant youkai was being taken care by Yusuke who seemed to enjoy the task, taunting the beast with colorful curses about its mother's integrity and honor. He determinedly ignored the fire demon cleaning off his blood soaked sword in the grass despite Youko's protests. **"We should be killing that little sawed off bastard for touching **our **Kagome!" **

While silently agreeing yet still refusing to fall to his brutish instincts, the avatar ambled over to the grinning teen that was covered from head to toe in blood. "Man, was that ever a work out! Whew! Needed to let off some steam, what with Keiko bein so grouchy lately."

He waited patiently as his friend pulled out his pink compact to grouch good-naturedly with the bubbly spirit guide. When a portal appeared to take them back to the human world he gracefully stepped into the sparking, swirling vortex. After using it so many times, it was practically second nature.

Once in his bedroom, safely away from his mother's sometimes too keen eyes, he shucked his dripping clothes and shoved them beneath his bed. _"It certainly wouldn't do to sneak all the way up here only to be discovered when she finds bloody clothes laying in the open…"_

His other half snorted in a distinctly masculine tone that most women found irritating. **"No shit."**

"_I do believe you've been spending too much time listening to Yusuke's colorful language." _His statement only provoked the kitsune into an even more inventive cursing streak, and for the remainder of the next hour he studiously ignored the silver haired man.

He took a long, cold shower, careful to rinse all the evidence of blood not only from his hair and body, but also from the tub and counter. After drying his red locks he tugged on a pair of close fitting blue jeans and a snug black t-shirt, sliding on a slightly baggier jacket to feel more comfortable. Looking in the mirror, he questioned, _"Think she'll like it, Youko?"_

"**Course she will, Red. Girl picked the outfit out herself." **

"_I can't imagine why she liked this one so much…"_

When Youko practically giggled, he feared the worst. **"You really are blind, Red. Our Kagome liked it so much because tighter pants, ahem, show off more of the 'goods', as it were."**

Blinking, Kurama tilted his head at the mirror, turning this way and that in confusion. _"What do you mean…?"_

"**She was looking at your ass, Red." **Flushing to the tips of his ears, Kurama turned around to peek into the mirror. Youko chuckled at the teens obvious confusion as to why a woman would even _look _at his ass much less be _attracted_ to it, he added, **"And the tighter shirt shows more of your muscles. Women like that." **

Grumbling something about how he'd never understand women the red head pulled the hoodie closer to his body and headed out. Walking down the street while politely trying to keep his distance, he grudgingly admitted that more women than normal were ogling him. It was quite a disconcerting thing to have so many women looking at him with a glint in their eyes as if he were their next meal. Coming to the base of the large staircase that led up to the Sunset Shrine, he bounded up the concrete with his enhanced demonic speed, more than eager to escape the stares of predatory human women.

When he reached the top of the stairs he was met with a startling picture. Plopped against the ground next to the Goshinboku was Mrs. Higurashi, leaning most of her weight against the rough bark, and Sota, who was crouched down stiffly next to her. The scent of tears struck him just as his ears registered the choking sobs rocking the woman's small body. In mere moments his was by their side, easing the kind human into a more comfortable sitting position.

"What's wrong, Mrs. Higurashi?"

When it became obvious that the older woman could not speak past the lump in her throat he turned to the younger man. Only briefly noticing the tears lingering at the edges of the youths eyes, he gently tugged a tightly clutched piece of paper from the young man's fist. Heart thudding against his ribcage and Youko strangely quiet, he quickly scanned the rough hand writing.

"_FUCK!"_

* * *

Koenma looked over the crumbled sheet of paper for perhaps the hundredth time, lips pursed around the binky clasped between his teeth. "This wouldn't be nearly so bad if Kurama wasn't in this state…" he thought glumly. Glancing up at said avatar, he winced at the threatening aura surrounding the man. His normally calm, green energy was now pulsating wildly, marred a nightmarish mixture of black and red. The only reason the man was even sitting down was because of the presence of Yusuke and Kuwabara. The shorter teen was tightly clenching his friend's shoulders to prevent him from moving, while the red-head murmured consoling nonsense that the prince couldn't make out from this distance.

When Botan creaked open the gigantic bone door, the muffled noises of oni workers drifting into the room, all heads snapped towards hers. She tried to ignore the icy gaze of the normally polite kitsune and shuffled towards Koenma's desk, murmuring softly into his ear. Nodding as she retreated to stand behind him, he cleared his throat. "We have located her."

"Where is she?" the fox demanded, struggling to stand upright despite his comrade's hold upon his form. A snarl reverberated through the room as his voice suddenly deepened in pitch, indicating his other half's imminent transformation. "Tell me where the _fuck _she is Koenma, or I swear on Inari I'll…!"

"Before you get yourself in any deeper," the prince interrupted, brow furrowed at the man's language, "I am not going to withhold her location from you."

Silence stretched uncomfortably within the room. "Well?"

"…She is in sector 59 of Makai."

"And what the hell is that, binky breath?" the detective demanded tightly, tapping his foot against the ground in his agitation. While he had only known the miko for a short amount of time, he had always had very strong protective instincts. Kagome was an innocent teenage girl shoved into a stinking pile, as far as he was concerned, and needing protecting from the dumb shits like this. Only this time, they hadn't noticed until it was slapped in their face.

Choosing his words with care, Koenma muttered, "It is a fearsome area within the Makai that houses many high level youkai. The lowest level demon found there are level b; the rest are mainly a. You are all quite strong…however…"

"What is it, Koenma?"

"There are only three of you; four including Hiei, wherever he's disappeared to. To reach her intact would be nigh impossible. With possibly thousands of youkai to fight against, five just simply isn't enough."

Yusuke frowned down at his suddenly docile friend, loosening his hold just the slightest bit. "So, there has to be some lord controlling the area, ain't there?"

To say the baby was surprised would be an understatement. "Well, yes. Lord Sesshomaru of the West, if I remember correctly."

"So talk to this Sess-whats-his-name," the dark haired youth growled, waving a hand impatiently. "Kidnapping the Shikon Miko just _has _to have some sorta law against it, right? He wouldn't wanna get caught up in all the legal krap and potential scandal and all. He'd _have _to help us, right?"

"Yusuke, that is the most…_brilliant _thing you've ever said!" the prince cried, scrambling to the top of his desk. The two teens not seething blinked at the image of the toddler shouting orders from his desk top to a frantic ferry girl and blue ogre. When the shouting match of orders ended, he fixed them with his beady eyes, gaze landing heavily upon Kurama's rigid form. "Lord Sesshomaru is a powerful Taiyoukai; he is several thousand years old and could easily kill all of you at once. You must tread with caution when dealing with him. He will not like being forced to work with Rekai, not one bit. As such, you are expected to follow my _exact _orders. Am I clear?"

"Heh, sure."

"Fine, binky breath, but don't think you've put me on a leash!"

"…Mmm."

* * *

**I apologize for the late update. Just recently got a job and now that I'm somewhat more accustomed to the hourse I will most likely update more often. I hope you enjoyed the update, and please remember to review!-Master of all Perv's, out!**

**P.S.- Thank you for your support, patience, and, perhaps most of all, encourage reviews :D**


	28. Light

THEME 28: LIGHT

(Words: 437)

* * *

The note was a simple one. It was crudely written by someone who must have been very basically versed in their letters, with a few ink stains and crumpled, yellowed edges. Emerald eyes scanned the page for perhaps the hundredth time, searching for some meaning behind the spontaneous kidnapping.

We have the miko.

Bring the shards or she dies. 

~Musou

In the flickering firelight he smoothed down the edges of the now well-worn slip of parchment. Who was Musou? Kagome had never mentioned him before…but then again, she had probably faced many more enemies than she could even count by now. He certainly had and after a while names became inconsequential, a mere observance that was unnecessary to pay attention to, like the sound of the wind or swaying of grass.

Swinging his gaze towards the firelight, eyes glinting yellow in the dim gloom, he could just make out the forms of his comrades scattered around the burning embers. Yusuke was propped up against the base of a leaning tree, grunting and scowling in his sleep as he often did during the day. His larger teammate, Kuwabara, was sprawled on the grass to his right, snoring, drooling, and twitching all at once. Last and not least was the ever elusive fire demon who was sulking in the branches of a nearby tree.

After being informed of the beauty's kidnapping, they had immediately been escorted into the Makai. The only problem being that there were no portals within the Lord of the Wests fortress, as he was a famous anti-social demon who especially detested the meddling of Rekai in his lands. As such they used the nearest possible vortex, which put them back a day time wise. More than eager to move on, the kitsune had bit his tongue when Koenma had politely pointed out that the team needed to be at their best for fighting an unknown enemy and thus needed their sleep. But damn it all, it was still hard. Even though Youko had been silent through this entire ordeal, he could feel his other half pacing like a caged animal, aggression building and building. It wouldn't be long before he snapped, that was for sure. And Kurama was sure he would gladly jump in after him.

Sensing a gaze, he swung around to look up at the fire demon. Red clashed with green for a moment, before the shorter man's head bobbed in the unmistakable gesture of a nod. For now they could set aside their rivalry. It was for Kagome, after all. The light of both of their lives.

* * *

**Yes, very short, and slightly cheezy, and I apologize (Though, really, who doesn't like a little cheezy-ness now and then?). I seem to be short in the plot bunnies apartment lately, possibly to do actually having to get off my butt and do something productive (other than jotting down plot ideas and fantasazing about sexy, fictional men...), the heat, or a mixture of the two. It was either a short chapter, or no chapter, and I'm very determined to see this one through to the end. Thank you all for your support and well wishes, they truly made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to know you actually read my tiny little notes at the end of each chapter. And, before I forget, again, I should probably have some sort of disclaimer. But, because of my frazzly-ness, I will only state this once. Disclaimer: I do not profit from previous, current, or future chapters within this story. I merely twist the plotline and add brightly colored bunnies with vampire teeth for my, and your, enjoyment. A big applaud given to the respective authors of Inuyasha and Yu Yu Hakusho; I admire you greatly for such believable characters mixed with the slightly insane fantasy that we all love. Well, that's all folks. Hoped you enjoyed, and please review! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	29. Dark

THEME 29: DARK

(Words: 485)

* * *

It was unfair, she decided. Unfair that the Shikon no Tama had been born into her body, unfair that she had been thrust into the past only to shatter it with her inexperience. If the jewel didn't exist she wouldn't currently be bound and gagged on the floor of a cold, stone cell. Her kidnappers obviously knew who she was, as they had wrapped a warm piece of metal around her neck that had instantly absorbed any attempt she made at purifying the green, toad-like demons that dragged her into this dank room beneath the earth.

She had been rather surprised that the youkai had done nothing more than throw her in the cell and leave her to her thoughts and now aching joints. Normally when she was kidnapped, which had been far too many times in her opinion, if she had not been rescued immediately, the enemy typically slapped her or something. Nothing as bad as actual torture, which she was immensely grateful for, but it still puzzled her that she had been left relatively unscathed. It was almost as if they were afraid of her even with the collar around her neck to control her powers.

_There isn't even a window…and it smells like someone peed in here…gross…_ Not for the first time since arriving in her chilly, private room, she wished Kurama was here with her. He always had a way of making her smile even in the scariest of moments. As she closed her eyes she could clearly remember the way he smelled of plants and soap, how warm and comfortable his arms felt around her. Damn, she missed him.

What would he do when he found out she was gone? _Probably go ballistic, if the way he reacted to the hickey is any indication. _He would probably insist on finding her, but she wondered if Koenma would be able to allow it. A vision of Kurama flipping off the toddler entered her mind and she stifled a giggle. _That would be more Yusuke's or Inuyasha's style. _

Somewhere in the middle of a daydream of her kitsune's arms wrapped around her she heard the unmistakable sound of keys clanging, followed by the creaking of her door. Blinking in the sudden light that flooded the room, she struggled to see the figure standing in the doorway.

"It is good to see you again, Ka-go-me. It's been almost five hundred years since I last saw your beautiful face."

"Who are you? What do you want?" She could just make out the brownish tint of his long hair that framed his almost delicate looking face.

"Why, dear miko, I'm wounded. Did our meeting truly leave no impression upon you? Perhaps this will jog your memory; I believe in the past I mistook you for Priestess Kikyo and called you 'my woman' numerous times."

"…Musou?"

* * *

**Thank you for your patience; I'm trying very hard to continue this story, it just takes a little planning ahead, what with the different themes within each chapter. Thanks for reading, and please review!-Master of all Perv's, out!**


	30. Faith

THEME 30: FAITH

(Words: 896)

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"This is completely ludicrous," the kitsune growled. He paced upon the elegantly carpeted floor, ignoring the squawking of the green toad demon and his protests of having Kurama's muddied shoes trailing against the rich fabric. The red head clenched his fists until his knuckles where white before wiping his sweaty palms against his trousers, muttering angrily. "What's taking him so damn long?" A flurry of squawking from the toad and an unmistakably threatening aura caught the room's attention.

Kuwabara and Yusuke, who had been sitting tensely on a low bench, scrambled to their feet, positioning themselves in such a way that they seemed perfectly contrite, but a practiced eye could easily tell that they were prepared for an attack. The fire demon remained at his perch against the wall, red eyes unblinking, as Kurama let his own aura flare with his anger and set his chin out stubbornly.

The Western Lord practically floated into the room, his amber eyes as intense as the crackling blue aura that surrounded him. The Lord and the kitsune sized one another up; Yusuke swore he saw sparks. Lord Sesshomaru was a tall man, perhaps seven feet tall, wearing the most pristine white clothes he had ever seen. Upon his chest and abdomen he wore an ancient looking piece of black armor that was polished to a shine; around his waist was a long yellow and purple obi that was tied into a perfect knot. On his right shoulder was a large mass of silver fur that greatly resembled his waist length hair. The oddest thing was that on his forehead was a blue crescent moon and there were twin magenta stripes on his cheekbones.

"Hnn. You have come here to speak to me of the Shikon Miko, correct?" His voice was carefully controlled, revealing absolutely no emotion. If anything, the Lord of the West resembled an icicle. Sesshomaru glided over to a plump chair that was nothing less than a throne, sitting down in a rustle of silk and fur.

"She's been kidnapped," Yusuke said. He looked nervously at the fuming redhead before continuing. "By somebody named Musou." The detective pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, trying to smooth down its edges before giving up and handing it to the green toad, who snatched it from his hand with a sniff to take it to his master. "We managed to locate her within this sector of Makai before her aura became undetectable." As his amber eyes perused the short, sloppily written note, the room became almost unbearably tense.

Finally, the silver haired man said, "I was unaware that Musou still lived, let alone within my lands."

"You knew 'em?" the brown eyed detective questioned, grasping at the small boon.

"…He is an incarnation of the hanyou Naraku, who was defeated five centuries ago. With the half demons demise, I assumed that all of his cast offs had perished as well."

"You know what he looks like then?" Golden eyes met emerald in a clash of wills; it was almost with amusement that the inu-youkai lowered his head in a shallow nod. "Then you have to help us."

"And why would I help the likes of Rekai fools such as yourself? You certainly have never needed my aid in meddling in the affairs of my kingdom before."

Narrowing his eyes, Kurama looked him over. _"There's something he isn't telling us…"_

"**He's an arrogant little fucker." **

"_And where have you been?"_

"**Never mind, Red. Ask the bastard if he knows our girl; if he knew Musou, there's a chance he's met her in the past before." **

"You knew her, didn't you?"

"We were…acquaintances, once."

The avatar growled, eyes flickering between gold and emerald. Fighting against his instinctual anger, he gritted, "Please…you must help us find her." His comrades blinked in shock as their normally dignified friend slipped to his knees in a bow.

Looking down at the prostrate man, Sesshomaru decided to spare the man further embarrassment, even though it was highly entertaining. "Rise, Youko Kurama. You need not beg."

"…We've met before, in the past, have we?"

"Hnn. On a few occasions. Jaken."

"Y-yes, my Lord?" the yellow eyed toad squeaked, bowing his head to the floor.

"Prepare Ah-Un and two other's for flight. We leave in an hour."

"Right away, my Lord!"

The brandy they gave him both smelled and tasted horrible. It was impossible for him to stay still for the next hour as he pulled the seeds from his hair, inspecting each for the smallest cracks and repairing them with his ki if necessary. If it weren't for the rustle of silk, he never would have noticed his unannounced visitor. "What is it you fear, kitsune?"

"That she's hurting," he growled, voice unnaturally deep. When he turned to face the taiyoukai, his eyes were pure amber and his canines were lengthened into fangs.

"Hnn. Have you no faith in her to protect herself from the likes of Musou? He is merely a hanyou; hardly an adversary for the famed Shikon Miko." Sesshomaru watched with curiosity as the man before him replaced a seed within the confines of his thick hair, noticing the lengthened claws gracing his calloused hands.

The avatar shook his head, fangs slipping from his lips and making his grimace lopsided. "I worry because…because I love her."

* * *

**Think I'm finally getting the hand of juggling all of my shtuff, so hopefully there will be more updates (though I don't promise...). We're three tenths of the way done, yaay! Thank you all for sticking with me throughout all of this, and your wonderful reviews that encourage me so. Please continue to read, and don't forget to review!-Master of all Perv's, out!**


	31. Colors

THEME 31: COLORS

(Words: 827)

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"Put me _down, _dammit!" She struggled vainly against their hold; shivering as yet another bucket of cold water was sloshed down her back. Two blue she-demons with pointed ears and scaly skin took turns holding down the irate miko, who was in the midst of a rather forced bath. "I can wash myself, if you'll just let me!"

The taller of the two strange women shook her head, running her soapy hands through the girl's midnight black hair. "Master Musou forbids us from leaving your presence until you are properly clothed." Her voice was deep and scratchy, unnaturally so for a woman. At least, a _normal _woman.

Kagome huffed and suffered the indignity of being washed as if she were a newborn; she was relatively compliant until they reached intimate areas, at which point she squirmed and blushed, mumbling a colorful string of curses she had learned from a certain bad tempered hanyou. Her captors merely raised their brows and continued their work. Once she was thoroughly clean from head to toe they wrapped a fluffy cotton towel around her shivering body and ushered her into an adjoining room.

As they toweled her clammy skin dry she peered at the room she was in, curiosity overriding her anger. The room, while obviously an underground cave, had been crafted into a rather comfortable sitting area. Rocky floors had been scraped smooth and covered with beautiful royal blue rugs that were warm to the touch. A matching couch had been placed in the middle of the room before a squat mahogany table that was so intricately carved that it hurt her eyes just to look at it. Every corner of the room was lit by high hanging torches set into the side of the walls. _"He obviously hasn't heard of modern electricity…" _

Her perusal of the room was cut short when her 'caretakers' were suddenly wrestling her into a dress. Glumly allowing them to dress her like a giant sized Barbie doll, it was only slightly satisfying that they seemed to be struggling at getting her joints to bend without ripping the delicate fabric. Once they finally managed to shimmy her into the dress, she couldn't help but look down at her new outfit. She now wore a slim fitting, dark blue kimono with a golden sash cinched around her waist. The long, trailing princess sleeves were covered in swirling silver patterns that resembled a spider's web.

"You look marvelous wearing my colors, Ka-go-me." The deep timbre of his voice sent immediate shivers racing down her spine. Twirling around in a rush of silk she sent him her best fire demon glare, wishing more than anything that he would just burst into flame. Musou leaned against what was roughly a doorway, arms crossed over his chest as he turned an appreciative glance over her new attire. The maids bowed and quickly scurried from the room. Once they were gone from the premises the hanyou crossed the room in three steps, grasping his hand between both of his larger ones. "Beautiful, my little miko."

Kagome yanked her hand way, hissing, "Don't you dare touch me!"

"Feisty as ever I see."

"What do you want from me, Musou?" the girl demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. "As you probably already know, I don't have the jewel shards with me."

The raven haired man moved closer to her, even as she tried to edge away. Eventually she bumped into the edge of the couch and sat, glowering at the hanyou that sat too close for her liking. "I'll have them soon enough, my dear. Besides, I already have the real prize."

"Hmph. And what would that be?"

"You, of course." The miko tried her best not to squirm as the man played with a strand of her still damp hair, twirling it around his finger with a purely masculine smirk, before tucking it behind her ear. "I am not quite as dense as the first time we met, my dear. I understand that you are not Lady Kikyo, but her reincarnation. It was also my surprise to find that you were in fact a time traveler." When she tried to edge even farther away from his outstretched hands he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her closer, his lips pressed against the shell of her ear. "I am not as foolish as that hanyou of yours, Ka-go-me. You are not Kikyo in my eyes. I see a strong woman with enough power to level Tokyo of its every demonic resident; something so powerful it sends chills down my spine," he murmured.

"You…still haven't answered my question."

"Hmm?"

"What do you want with me?" The feel of his lips against her ear made her skin crawl and her stomach to flop uneasily. What was he up to?

"Why, you still haven't realized my intentions, my precious miko? I plan to keep you here, by my side…as my mate."

* * *

**Dun dun dunh! Hope you all liked the chapter, I tried my best to get Musou across as an arrogant, slightly less stupid (but still pretty ignorant) version of himself. Please continue to read, review, and tell me what you think! I love feedback, don't forget. :D -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	32. Exploration

THEME 32: EXPLORATION

(Words: 1,222)

* * *

His apprehension only settled the slightest bit when they finally landed on the forest floor, jumping from the backs of the monstrous dragon like creatures that the Lord of the West had provided them for travel. No words were needed; they spread out within the jungle, close enough to respond to one another should trouble arise. Kurama was just jumping a rather large tree root when the first demon showed up.

The demon was large; perhaps over ten feet tall. By the orange color of his skin and the black stripes decorating his visible flesh it was safe to say he was some sort of tiger youkai. The beasts aura was as red as the fire apparition's eyes, but fairly low leveled compared to the others one could sense within the area. "You there, boy!" the tiger bellowed, swinging what looked like the leftovers of a carcass. "Awful puny 'ta be in this part 'o the forest, ain't ya?" When the red-head merely continued walking, he snarled and tossed the bones and fraying flesh to the ground with a resounding 'thump'. "Now come here, 'ya little…gaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrhhh!"

Kurama calmly withdrew his ki from the rose in his right hand, causing the flower to revert to its seed form, before stowing it within its normal resting place within his hair. His comrades said nothing about the cold way with which he had dispatched the minor annoyance, having already noticed their friend's ruthless golden eyes and lengthened fangs. It was apparent that he was on the verge of transforming and going ballistic; coming between a youkai and his search for his chosen was a very bloody and painful affair, one they wouldn't wish on any enemy.

"**Dammit, where the hell is she?"**

"_We'll look everywhere if we have to."_

"**She's **ours**! How dare those fucking bastards take what's mine!"**

"_They'll pay for this…if they laid a single finger on Kagome…I'll…I'll…!" _

The man gnashed his teeth together in his fury, hair turning suspiciously light. **"Let me out, Red. No time to waste." **So angry was he, Kurama gave up control to his other half without a complaint. The popping and creaking of readjusting joints and growing limbs caught his comrades attention, as did the feral snarl that leaked from his lips.

"Fuck, fox boy transformed!" Yusuke cursed. He kept quite a few feet away, eyeing the silver haired, white clad man warily. He'd never really felt comfortable with Kurama's 'other half', even though they were basically one in the same. The silver kitsune had a deadly glare at the best of times; now it was positively lethal.

Sesshomaru watched from the shade of a large tree, amber eyes half lidded in thought. He had not known the avatar could transform into his true self; it would seem that such a dramatic change would badly damage, if not kill, his human body. When the man's triangular ears twitched in his direction, followed by his burning gaze, the inuyoukai nodded. "Youko Kurama."

"Hnn. What are you all staring at? I won't bite you; I have much bigger fish to fry," the fox rumbled. He cracked his knuckles and stretched his legs, a positively evil smirk crossing his lips as he reacquainted himself with their body.

Kuwabara and Yusuke looked at one another worriedly as their friend burst into the foliage ahead, his aura fluctuating wildly. "Damn, this is bad."

"You don't think we'll have to…to subdue him, er something?" the taller man questioned nervously, scuffing his shoe in the dirt. If it came down to it, he knew that the kitsune could easily overcome him and kill him, friend or no.

"Nah…he just want's Kagome back. So long as we don't stop 'em from gettin' to her, we'll be fine. Might wanna keep your distance from her when we _do _find her though."

"Why's that, Uremeshi?"

"It's a youkai thing," the detective shrugged. "When you're separated from your girl for that long, or something like this, you get real possessive. Instincts get all outta whack, and you turn kinda…animal, I guess. You think of everyone as a threat, and won't recognize a friend or enemy. Hard to explain, now that I'm tryin to." Shrugging one final time, the green clad teen slipped into the trees, followed closely by his carrot topped friend.

* * *

"Hey guy's, I think I found something!" The rest of the group was by his side in mere moments, peering into the cave he was pointing into. "Looks like somebody's been through here," the tall human grunted, nudging what looked suspiciously like a foot print in the dirt before the opening.

No one protested as Youko slipped down into the rather small opening, balancing a moment near the edge to adjust his eyes to the light. The entrance, while small, opened into a much larger chamber that was obviously well used, if the chests and furs were anything to go by. "Hnn, let's go," he growled, keeping his voice low. If there were occupants in this cave, which he very much believed, he wasn't going to give them a heads up on their presence.

Four men followed him into the dank cavern, as silent as possible. "You sense her yet, Kurama?"

"No…" His brow furrowed as he took a deep sniff of the cave, crinkling his nose when all he smelt was moss and water. "It's strange; I've always been able to detect it, even when she was trying to mask her aura."

They poked around in a few stray passage ways, all of which turned out to be dead ends. When they were just beginning to give up on the strange cave and return to their search above ground, Sesshomaru moved a massive boulder, revealing a hidden passage. Gesturing with his left arm, which was oddly striped around his wrists, he indicated that the kitsune should go first. When asked later why he would allow someone to go ahead of him, he simply deadpanned, "I did not wish to have to restrain an enraged youkai searching for his mate."

The corridor beyond was very obviously used; there were lit torches flickering from brackets thrust within the walls. On the floor there were scattered armloads of dried hay to help with balance against the slippery rock. Farther in hay was replaced with dark blue rugs emblazoned with a golden spider sitting atop a silver web. "This is undoubtedly Musou; he bore the mark of a spider upon his back," the Lord murmured, hand lingering upon his sword as his eyes flicked about the room.

They finally reached what was a makeshift door; merely a thick tapestry that was hung above another opening to replace an actual wooden slab. Sidling closer while gesturing that his comrades stay quiet, Kurama pressed his body as close to the door as he could, ears straining to catch the sounds coming from within the next room. The sound of rustling fabric, creaking that sounded suspiciously similar to a couch, and small grunts reached his ears. When a voice finally spoke, however, it made his blood run cold.

"L-let _go _of me! You piece of…mmmppphhh!" That was _his _Kagome! How dare he…! It was then that all hell broke loose, as Youko Kurama's already intense amber eyes flickered red and his aura expanded to near-choking levels.

**"_KAGOME!"_**

* * *

**Heheh, couldn't help the cliffy, don't kill me! I seem to be a lil stuck on the ending of the next chapter, so it may take a few days, but it is for the most part written. Thank you all for reading and your wonderful reviews that make me feel so fuzzy inside! Please continue to read and enjoy! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	33. Seeing Red

THEME 33: SEEING RED

(Words: 1,506)

* * *

"_**Both Youko and Kurama speaking as one"**_

"_Kagome"_

"**Hiei"**

* * *

What they saw upon stumbling within the room was mind numbing. Past all of the intricate and expensive tapestries, table tops, and mirrors, their attention was focused solely upon the struggling pair on the couch. Kagome was beneath a raven haired man, her wrists pinned above her head, wearing a foreign blue dress that was in disarray from her attempts to escape the man's strong grip. If that wasn't damning enough, the man, presumably Musou, was thoroughly attacking the miko's lips with his own. Their arrival had the man scrambling to his feet, cursing his bad luck, while simultaneously trying to keep his hold on the disheveled human. "Who _are _you? Don't you at least know to leave a man and his woman some privacy?"

"Kurama!" Her voice was so full of relief upon seeing him that it only tempered his rage the slightest bit. All hurriedly stepped back as his aura flared around him in an impressive shower of red and black, pulsing in time with his heartbeat, spitting like an enraged cat, as invisible winds tore at his long tendrils of hair and loose clothing.

"_**How dare you touch what is mine!" **_His snarl sent shivers racing down everyone's spine; it was so full of anger that it was practically palpable. Oddly enough, the deep timbre resembled both the kitsune and Kurama, overlapping one another so closely that it was impossible to tell who had more of an influence.

Musou was attempting to recover himself and scowled at the berserk demon. "Yours?" he scoffed. He wrapped his right hand around both her wrists and pulled the confused girl against his side, draping his left arm around her slim waist. "Whatever you were to her before, it no longer has any merit. I am going to take Kagome as _my mate_!"

"Fuck, you just _had _to say _that, _didn't you?" Yusuke groaned into the silence. He ran a nervous hand through his hair and discreetly edged away from his silver companion. Perhaps he wasn't the most brilliant man in the world, but Yusuke did understand pain, and the red eyes of his companion was more than enough to persuade him to keep out of the swinging zone.

Youko Kurama's vision was indeed red. His senses all screamed at him to tear, to rip, to slash, to _destroy _the man touching his chosen. They clamored so loudly that all sound and movement outside of his enemy was discarded. He only saw the man holding Kagome, who was looking at him with a sense of bewilderment that he couldn't recognize in his current condition. Ears straining forward, he could hear the rapid beating of Musou's heart; his nose could easily detect the waft of arrogance and fear emanating from the raven.

Lips pulling back into a sneer, he crouched down, leg muscles bulging, and _launched_. Having been trying to control the miko, the shorter man was quickly at a disadvantage to the silver haired man. It was either let her out of his grasp, or have his arm cut off at the shoulder by wicked looking claws. Smirking, Musou yanked the girl in front of the demon's slashing claws. It was only by a graceful twisting movement by the kitsune that saved her from dismemberment. Instead, Youko Kurama slammed into the rock wall, perforating the lumpy material and creating a small hole. As the dust cleared the spider-man chuckled in a way so reminiscent of Naraku that Kagome couldn't help but shudder.

"Come now, beast, you wouldn't want to hurt your precious miko, would you?" he called. Using his free hand he tugged on the girls long locks, baring her white neck to the room's occupants. "Go on, then, try and take her from me. Be careful not to harm that delicious looking neck, now; I would hate for my mate to have too many scars."

"You…! You can't do that to a lady…!" Kuwabara bellowed. Bending at the knees in a purely masculine walk that only looked slightly silly, he stalked forward, shoving his sleeves back past his elbows. Two outstretched arms quickly stopped his departure and he looked at his comrade's with a red face. "What're you stoppin me for?"

"Let fox boy get this one," the detective replied.

"Hn. Interfere now and Youko will likely kill you," Hiei muttered. Sliding his crimson eyes from the battlefield to glance at the much taller human, he added, "Perhaps you should try your hand at intervening, then."

"It ain't right! He's using K'gome as a shield! It's not manly!" he protested stubbornly. Kurama's snarl interrupted them as he again lunged at the raven haired man only to pull back when Kagome was thrust in the line of fire.

"_**Release her!"**_

Musou clucked, pulling on the girl's hair and causing her to gasp with pain. "Why would I let go of what is mine?" he called mockingly. He widened his stance and caught her around the waist, pinning both her arms to her waist while pulling her snugly against his chest. The answering growl he received was hair rising.

"What do you want with the Shikon Miko?" Sesshomaru's voice broke through the silence like a knife, startling some; they had forgotten he was even there.

"She's obviously a powerful woman, even for a human," was Musou's cool reply. His grip tightened around her waist. "Obviously a wise choice for a mate."

Kagome squirmed in his hold, stamping her foot against his for probably the fiftieth time, to no avail. "The first time a guy says he doesn't see Kikyou in me, and it's this freak," she thought sourly, turning burning sapphire eyes up at her captor. "If only this stupid collar wasn't around my neck, I'd purify his…that's it!" How could she have forgotten so easily, when it had only happened a few short weeks ago? Closing her eyes to concentrate, she withdrew into her mind as she had been taught, probing around until she found the small 'on button'; a minute amount of ki that was obviously not her own. _"Hiei…?"_

"**What is it, onna?" **His answering voice was so welcome that she almost relaxed within Musou's arms. Reopening her eyes now that the difficult part was done and over, she looked past her seething love interest to see the fire demon gazing at her with narrowed eyes.

"_There's a metal plate around my neck. It looks sorta like a collar."_ She tilted her neck for a better view, praying that the demon holding her wouldn't notice. Luckily for her, he was too busy gloating over his 'win' to notice a stampede of elephants, much less a presumably powerless miko.

"**Hn, what of it?"**

"_That collar is what's sealing my holy energy; if you or Kurama could break it, I could purify Musou!" _

"**I will attempt to tell the fox; with the condition he's in, however, it is unlikely he will listen."**

As he relayed the message to the silver haired man, Kagome looked at Youko's crimson eyes and winced. "Boy, he's angry," she thought. "How could I get him to calm down enough to listen to Hiei…?" It was so strange to be so close to him, and yet be so totally out of his reach. She could feel his trembling, crackling aura, even without her miko energy. The harsh sound of his breathe made it even more obvious that it was becoming harder and harder to control his anger.

Warm lips against her neck caused her to break from her desperate thoughts. "I'll fight for you, my dear," the hanyou murmured, chuckling at the angry bark that exploded from the kitsune at the display of physical affection. "I might even let this…kitsune, live. However…"

"What do you want?"

Now he leaned even closer, pressing his warm lips against the shell of her ear, and whispered so lowly that no one, not even those with demonic hearing, would be able to discern from a distance. "…Tell them you desire me." Tightening his arms around her waist, he purred, "That you live only to please me. Let them all know that you love me."

"That's completely…!"

"Shh, think this over, my dear. The only way to get your friends to leave is to convince them you desire this. I have hundreds of demons lurking within these hallways; do you truly believe that they can survive, fighting through that many strong youkai, even if they miraculously rescued you?"

"He's nuts!" Kagome thought, rolling her eyes. Then, again noticing the raving kitsune in the background, her eyes widened as an idea came to her. "Brilliant!"

"Well, miko?"

What she blurted next made the whole room freeze. "I love Kurama!"

* * *

**Thank you all for being so patient during the long wait. This chapter was revised multiple times,because I wanted it to be as perfect as I could make. (Not including the fact that I now have college to work around) Also, I'd like to thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I was pleasantly surprised that many of you found a possessive Youko/Kurama to be extremely, well, sexy, as I do. Please continue to read and review! -Master of all Perv's, Out!**


	34. Shades of Grey

THEME 34: SHADES OF GREY

(Words:653)

* * *

"_**Youko"**_

"_Kurama"_

"**Hiei"**

* * *

"I love Kurama!"

In any other situation he would have whooped with joy and crushed the beautiful miko to his chest in perhaps the tightest bear hug humanly possible. Now however he merely blinked at the tousled, blushing girl who struggled even in the deafening silence of the cave. Had she really just proclaimed _that _in _this _kind of situation? It was almost laughable. His girl was nothing if unpredictable.

A pair of crimson eyes narrowed at her blurted admission, followed by an almost unnoticeable sigh. **"Reclaimed your senses now, fox?"**

"_Hiei…?"_

"**Destroy the collar around the miko's neck. She can then purify the bastard."**

Shaking his head to clear the fuzzy haze around his mind, Youko Kurama came back to the problem at hand. Now that his bloodlust was merely a low throb he could clearly see the dull metal that hummed with a dark power around her slender neck. _**"That must be what's concealing her holy power; the reason we couldn't sense her."**_

"_How do we take it off without hurting her?"_

"_**Our girl will get a scratch or two, but brute force will have to do. We'll just tear it apart with our hands."**_

Kagome huffed when her silver-haired love-interest seemed to be lost in thought. "At least his eyes aren't so red anymore," she thought. When the kitsune gave his best cat-got-the-canary smirk and gave her a mischievous wink, she could only blink. "What's he got planned now?"

A vicious tug on her hair had her wincing at the sudden pain. "That is _not _what our deal was, miko," Musou hissed. His voice was low and so full of anger that it was almost identical to Naraku. Tears collected in the corner of her eyes as his grip upon her hair tightened. "I will no longer spare their lives, and take you by force. Our first time will not be gentle, as punishment for your indiscretion." A sharp pain on her neck had her gasping with pain as his teeth bit into her skin.

What happened next seemed to be a blur. With tears collecting in her eyes she could just make out the form of her silver haired kitsune leaping towards her. Over the sound of the blood pounding in her ears she could hear his enraged shout. A second later she felt warm fingers wrap around the metal collar on her neck. Sparks shot out from the suddenly scorching hot metal, sending prickles of pain along her skin. There was a scream, and over the pain she vaguely realized it came from her own throat.

Almost as soon as it began, the pain disappeared as the metal let out a resounding _crack_. Her holy energy surged forward and surrounded her in a glowing pink sphere. Even with her energy unleashed someone grabbed her from around the waist and tugged her into a bone-crushing embrace. The tears flowing down her cheeks were gently wiped away and she could finally see. Youko's golden eyes practically simmered, all traces of the red taint from earlier vanished. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips and his silver hair floated in the wind caused by her energy.

"That's my girl…" His voice was a low rumble that sent chills down her spine.

"Kurama…Kurama!" Throwing her arms around him, she didn't object when he leaned down to capture her in a breath taking kiss.

* * *

**Yes, yes…very late update. My apologies. Had a long math assignment (200 questions…) and, well, let's just say I'm a writer, not a math whiz. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will update another one very, very soon, as thanks for your patience. :D Please continue reading, and of course, review! –Master of all Perv's, out!**


	35. Forgotten

THEME 35: FORGOTTEN

(Words: 698)

_**"Youko"**_

_"Kurama" _

* * *

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Sesshomaru all gathered outside the tent flap that served as a door, leaving the reunited lovebirds their moment alone. "Man, didn't realize she had _that _much ki," the detective muttered. "Killed the bastard in less than a second. Almost makes me feel sorry for 'em."

"The miko is exceptionally strong, if untrained."

As an awkward silence fell around them, Kuwabara, who was red faced with embarrassment, scrutinized the shorter man on their team with interest. "Hey, shrimp. What're you doin' out here?"

"Hn. Obviously escaping the sickening display in there. What else would I be doing?"

"Naw, that's not what I mean," the red head grunted. Folding his arms over his chest, he fixed the shorter man with a curious stare. "I may not be the smartest guy-"

"It took you until now to notice? Pity."

"-but I do know that you have the hot's for Kagome. I mean, I couldn't picture sweet K'gome picking a lil' bastard like you, but, if it were me, I'd be in there bashing his head in."

The fire apparition's glare could have turned him to stone, but Kuwabara was used to such things. So he merely crossed his arms over his chest and returned the glare full force. Finally he muttered, "The onna has made her choice clear. My pursuit in no longer worth the effort."

* * *

"I knew you'd come and get me!" Kagome grinned. She snuggled closer to him, fisting the back of his shirt in her hands in a tight embrace. The smell of roses reminded her of exactly who she was hugging, but at the moment it didn't matter. In the end they were one and the same. As he wrapped his arms around her midsection a deep growl rumbled through his chest, vibrating gently against her cheek.

"Of course I came for you. You're my girl, after all." Peering down to look at her face, he practically purred at the pink blush that spread across her cheeks. Sighing, he grasped her chin in his hand to lift her head to his. Swooping down to sprinkle soft kisses against her lips, he murmured, "I'm glad to see you safe, Kagome…but Red's impatient, and I have to go." When he pressed a lingering kiss to her already tingling lips, she heard the unmistakable popping and creaking of his transformation.

Their kiss, which had been gentle at first, suddenly turned urgent as Kurama regained control of his body. His hands cupped her cheeks and pulled her flush against his body. "Kagome!" he whispered between kisses. Forcing himself to disengage from his enjoyable activities, he smiled down at the misty eyed girl. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine now," she giggled, burying her face in his shirt to hide her growing blush. "Thanks to you…"

As he ran his hand through her raven tresses, his emerald eyes darkened. "No one will _ever_ take you from me again. I won't let them."

A gentle yet demanding tug on his hair had him blinking down at the priestess. "Promise?" she said. "You won't let anyone take me…not ever? No matter what?"

"No matter what." This time it was her turn to initiate the kiss, sighing against his lips.

"_**Our girl…"**_

"_Mm, ours indeed…she didn't seem to mind you this time, Youko."_

His snort reverberated through his head, even as the kitsune moved closer to the surface to tighten their arms around the thin girl. _**"'Cause now she knows we're the same. Come on Red; ask her to be our girl. The little bastard will back off if she agrees to our pursuit, 'ya know."**_

Rumbling, he broke off their hot and heavy kiss. "Kagome…"

"Hmm?"

"Will you…will you go out with me?"

"I don't know what day it is, let alone when I'm free for another date…"

"No," he said, tilting up her head and looking into her eyes. "As my girlfriend."

The following silence was broken by Yusuke's bellow. "Oi, you two had better have yer clothes on! C'mon, didja forget we were _waiting_ here?" Chuckling at the startled _eep_ and tucking her beneath his chin, he almost missed her muffled reply.

"Yes…"

* * *

**Told ya I'd update quicker this time. ;) I realized just recently that I've sort of mixed around the italics, bold, etc., that I've used for mental conversations. From now on it will be the same, but I'll always put it up near the top so that you won't be confused. Now that the kidnapping is over, I'm hoping to add more fluff. I believe it will help with my motivation to think about a certain sexy kitsune...eheheh, anyway, hope you liked it! Read and review! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	36. Dreamer

THEME 36: DREAMER

(Words: 300)

* * *

"Nee, he's finally your boyfriend!

Kagome blushed at her friends excited squealing and hand clapping, trying her best to ignore the other students' curious glances at the commotion. "I…It's really not _that _big a deal, you guys…"

Eri _tsked_ and shook her finger in a very motherly fashion. "Of course it is, Kagome! Don't you know what this means? You're only one step away from being engaged!"

"E-e-engaged?"

Her friends took one look at her rapidly flushing face, winked at one another with a distinctly cat-ish smirk, and returned to their teasing.

"And after that; marriage!"

"Oh, and then they'll just have to have babies!"

"With red hair and blue eyes!"

"B-b-babies? Guy's, wait a-"

"How many do you think they should have?"

"Hmm…three or four…maybe more! I mean, he's vice president of a security company. He's gotta be loaded! Why stop at two when you can afford more?"

"Two girls and two boys would be good. You just have to name one of them after me, Kagome!"

As they continued to babble on about possible names for her non-existent spawn, Kagome frowned. "I never thought about it before…" she thought. Tilting her head to gaze at her wooden desk, she distractedly drew a poor imitation of a rose on its smooth surface. "What will I do when the missions over? I've been so preoccupied with destroying Naraku, the future just never popped up…"

Her friends raised voices caught her wandering attention. "I bet he's amazing!"

"Amazing at what? Who?" Kagome questioned, curiosity getting the better of her. Their immediate smirk made her stomach sink.

"Kurama-kun, of course." Leaning forward, Eri whispered, "We think he'll be amazing in…you know…the bedroom."

"K-Kagome? Kagome, are you alright?" Both girls scrambled forward as their friend promptly fainted.

"_B…bedroom…?"_

* * *

**Yes, very short. I was busy putting the finishing touch on another story (or two), and have had many, many difficulties with math. Thank you for being so patient, and your wonderful reviews that make me so warm and fuzzy. :D -Master of all Pervert's, out!**


	37. Mist

THEME 37: MIST

* * *

(Words: 905)

"_**Youko"**_

"_Kurama"_

* * *

"Ne, Kurama, these stairs are longer than mine!" she grumbled, glaring at the amused smirk he sent down to her. The kitsune reached back to twine his fingers with hers, pausing on the steps until she stood level with him.

"It's not that much farther."

They began to once again progress up the steep concrete stairs with only the sound of wildlife surrounding them. The air was heavy around them, muffling the sounds of their footsteps. "Where are you taking me, anyway?" Kagome questioned, slanting him a curious look. "You were awfully evasive with your answers…"

"Why, I'm whisking you into the woods to have my way with you, of course."

A blush immediately spread across her face and she narrowed her eyes when he chuckled in a timbre much lower than usual. "Youko…"

"You're just so very cute when you blush," he grinned, eyes flashing gold. Once his eyes returned to their normal color, he added, "We're here."

Just then they topped the rise of stairs that had previously seemed endless. Kagome blinked and glared into the heavy wall of mist. The only thing she could see were the brightly painted torii gates a few feet in front of them. "I don't see any-"

"Hn, so you've finally come." The voice was so unexpected that she couldn't help but jump with a strangled squeak as he head whipped around to find its source. Standing to Kurama's left was none other than Hiei, the edge of his lips kicked up in a small smirk at her reaction. "Took you long enough, fox."

"H-Hiei…! What're you doing here?" she stammered. Kurama was immensely pleased when she sidled closer to his side and tightened her grip on his hand.

"_**That'll show the little bastard that she belongs to **__us__**!"**_ He got the distinct impression of his other half cackling in the background and withheld the urge to roll his eyes.

"_He's already backed off, Youko. Hiei's not the type to try and seduce a girl who's already taken."_

The silver haired man snorted. _**"He'd better not, or I'm going to take that katana of his and shove it right up his…!"**_

Tugging on his hand brought them out of his ranting as they focused on the girl glancing up at him. "Kurama…? You ok?"

"Youko can be rather…distracting," he murmured, squeezing her hand affectionately.

Her eyes flickered over his face for another moment before she took a step back and looked around again. "So…what're we doing here again?"

Just then a breeze swooped through the trees and revealed an enormous building. With its elegantly curved ceramic roof, meticulously cleaned wooden porches, and its ten foot tall doors made it obvious it was a temple. Having lived on a shrine her entire life made it much less intimidating for Kagome, yet this shrine was easily twice as large as the one her family owned.

Kurama couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's look of awe. "This is the shrine of Genkai, a good friend of ours."

"This place is _huge_!" she stuttered, obligingly following him across the gravel path that led towards the large doorway. Noticing the lack of tourists or visitors, she frowned. "Where is everyone?"

"Genkai does not allow visitors here. The forest surrounding the shrine has many demons that, while weak, could easily kill a human."

"Hn. The woman does not appreciate prying eyes, in other words," the fire demon snorted.

"Then…why am I here?"

"The only reason you're here is to train." Her reaction proved to all those around her that she had encountered quite a few battles. Before the speaker even finished that rasping sentence she had bent her knees and spread her legs in a more stable stance, her pink ki sparking out around her palms as she held her hands in front of her defensively. "I'm not going to attack you, guardian of the shikon no tama."

Kagome blinked down at the older woman that stood before her, energy sinking harmlessly back into her skin. The woman had dingy pink hair that would have fallen to her shoulder blades if it weren't for its curliness, standing even shorter than Hiei at perhaps four and a half feet tall. Her face was covered in wrinkles and her brown eyes were set in a stern stare. "Ah…err…Who're you…?"

"Genkai."

Turning a questioning glance at Kurama, she murmured, "What sort of 'training' are you talking about…?"

"Kurama informed me of your poor control over your powers," the woman said. "While I do not possess holy energy, I could easily teach you proper control."

Kagome opened her mouth once, twice, and finally stammered, "T-thank you, Genkai-sama…but, I don't spend much time in this era, so I don't know how often I'd-"

"You will come here for training every time you return from sengoku jidai. Your survival is necessary for this time to remain as it is. Schooling should be the least worry on your mind at this point."

"But…!"

"You can always return to your schooling later, Kagome,"Kurama intervened, placing his hand upon her shoulder comfortingly. "I'll help you."

Genkai's eyes swept over her form before she grunted and began walking towards the temple. "Follow me. We will test your abilities for today and begin your training tomorrow."

Shoulders slumping with a defeated sigh Kagome trudged after the shorter woman, sticking her tongue out at the chuckling kitsune.

* * *

**So, I made a wee bit of a goof up and accidently uploaded chapter 38 instead of 37. I do believe it's fixed now, but I apologize if you got ahold of it before I swapped the chapters. Thanks for stopping by, and please leave a review! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	38. Burning

THEME 38: BURNING

(Words: 738)

* * *

_Kagome_

"_Midoriko"_

"_Kurama"_

"_**Youko" **_

"**Hiei"**

* * *

Whatever Kagome had been expecting was nothing compared to this. With her eyes closed off to the world she writhed and gasped as the pain swept through her body like a fire. _It burns!_ She was no longer sure how much time had passed, for even with her eyes open there was no light within this room to tell the time by. All she knew was the burning pain that stabbed through her body with every breath. As another twinge of pain centered on her mind she wrapped her arms around her head, unable to help the strangled shout that it wrung out of her throat. The pain was quickly followed by an unfamiliar presence that poked and prodded, and she quickly scrambled to bring her defenses back into place around her mind. _NO!_

"_Come, little one, you're not going to let this stop you, are you?"_

Tears were flowing freely down her face now as that familiar voice intruded upon her mind, wrapping around her and dulling the pain to a low throb. _Midoriko…?_

She received a mental image of the older woman wrapping her arms around her body, resting her chin against her shoulder. _"This is merely a test, Kagome, but the apparition will not go easy on you. He understands that you must learn this to survive, and mustn't hold back. You shouldn't hold yourself back either." _

_I am trying…_

"_You are afraid to hurt him," _the spirit scolded. _"While I question his morality, the Jaganshi is worthy of his reputation. He will not die if you retaliate. Scorched, perhaps, but death will not befall him while I am here to supervise." _

_How do I keep him out, though? I don't know how…_

"_Focus your mind on something."_ There was a pause, followed by another image, this one of Midoriko grinning. _"Think of your kitsune. You want to protect him, don't you?"_

_More than anything…_Kagome admitted.

"_Think of the way his arms feel around you, how safe you feel when he's near. Something as simple as that can block him from your mind, if only you concentrate hard enough. You can do it, little one, I know you can."_

She grit her teeth as another poke brought a wave of pain, wrenching a picture of Kurama into her mind's eye. Through the pain she tried to remember every detail about him, from the way his smile quirked at the edges, to how his eyes glinted between green and gold from one moment to the next.

_Kurama…_

* * *

Hiei rolled his eyes, distractedly opening a link with Kurama despite his rigid posture. **"Hn, the miko is single minded when in regards to you." **

Seeing the image of himself only managed to make him smile for a moment before his brow creased in another frown as she let out another gasp of pain against the hybrids intrusion. _**"Kurama, get your ass over there and help our girl!"**_ Youko roared, snarling within the confines of their mind. His counterpart stubbornly clung to his control over their body, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles creaked and groaned.

"_No, Youko. I don't like seeing her in pain any more than you do."_ They both flinched when the girl arched her back with a sound similar to a scream, fingers digging at her temples to no avail. _"She needs this training, as much as I hate to think of her in danger…"_

"_**I don't like it."**_ The silver kitsune paced back and forth, tail flapping irritably as his ears sunk to their lowest.

"_She's safer with Hiei than anyone else. It may hurt, but he won't permanently harm her…better for her to strengthen her mind now than lose her mind facing against Naraku."_

Genkai's grunt brought them out of their musings and they looked towards the older woman. "She's doing better than most humans do against the Jagan…but it is not good enough." The harsh lines on her forehead that seemed to be a permanent feature on her face deepened the longer she watched. "Her mental control needs to be _perfect _if she wants to survive sengoku jidai."

"Hn. The miko has a temporary grasp on her mind."

The older woman hummed thoughtfully before sliding her brown eyes towards the hybrid. "Keep going as long as you can. We want to train her, but we don't want to break her either."

* * *

**I apologize for the long wait. Due to adding another English class to my curriculum, I have been writing non-stop, but alas, I cannot write fanfiction for my classes (Although it would be awesome if I could). Anywho, I've been working ahead chapter wise, so hopefully they'll come out at least on a semi-regular basis...no promises though. Thank you for your patience, for your reviews, and your very presence. Please continue to read and review! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	39. Out of Time

THEME 39: OUT OF TIME

(Words: 325 )

* * *

Souta knew something was up. His predictably frazzled sister was even more hurried than usual, thumping around upstairs as she threw multiple clothes into her bulging yellow back pack. "I am _so _late," she hissed, pounding on a pair of jeans until they were smashed enough to fit in her bag. He watched from behind the safety of her door, eyebrows rising at the colorful language his sister was displaying, which was probably due to a certain hanyou's foul mouth.

"Hey, sis? What'cha in such a hurry for?"

His sister continued her frenzied packing, not at all phased by his sudden appearance. "I promised the other's I'd be back before the end of the day and I forgot all about shopping! We're out of ramen, and I needed a new pan…"

"But sis, Kurama already..."

"And I promised to get Shippo some different flavors of Pocky to try…Sango mentioned she wouldn't mind some of that shampoo I brought last time too…" He blinked as his sister suddenly groaned and sunk to her bed, plopping her head in her hands. "What am I going to do? Between training and traveling for the jewel, I don't have time for school, let alone grocery shopping…"

The sound of a clearing throat brought their attention to the red head standing just behind Souta. Kurama eased the door open and flourished a bow, eyes twinkling at the girl's gasp. "Your mother mentioned you needed more supplies, Kagome." On the floor just behind him were two large packages of ramen, a bag full of what looked like bathing supplies, and a pan full of Pocky.

At around ten years old, Souta knew that older couples like his sister and Kurama held hands and did other "things" when he wasn't around. However, that didn't mean he had to watch it. When Kagome jumped into the older boys arms, he promptly vacated the area. "Gross…"

* * *

**I thought it would be interesting to have a chapter from the view of character other than our favorite couple. I had some fun with it, so I'll probably play around with it again in the future. Thank you for reading, and please continue to read! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	40. Knowing How

CHAPTER 40: KNOWING HOW

(Words: 231)

* * *

"Suichi dear, you know that I would _love_ to meet your new girlfriend," Shiori tutted, glancing at her son out of the corner of her eye. With her almost uncanny ability to detect even the smallest movement from her son, she easily caught his nervous fidget as he tugged at the collar of his jacket.

"Kagome is quite busy with her schoolwork, mother," he said. She couldn't help but grin when he rather forcefully stopped his fidgeting. Her son was adorably nervous whenever the topic of women came up. Only two weeks ago he had delighted her with the news that he had a girlfriend. It had been the first time he had mentioned girls to his mother before, let alone such a close one. "I told you about how sick she was, didn't I?"

Sighing dramatically, Shiori continued chopping her vegetables. "Yes, poor girl. To have an ulcer at her age…"

"Her doctor says she's past the danger zone, but she's still recovering," Kurama murmured. "On top of that, she missed so much school from testing that she's dramatically behind in her work…"

"I'll be sure to take an extra stick of incense with me to the shrine tomorrow to pray for her well-being…and Suichi?"

"Yes mother?"

"You'll bring her here to see me once she has the time, won't you?"

"Of course, mother…"

* * *

**Thought this was a cute-ish idea. Please forgive the lateness, and shortness. Finals are coming up at school, I've been studying my butt off, aaaand I have another fic I've been working my butt off on as well, just to get it out of the way. Hope you liked it! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	41. Fork in the Road

CHAPTER 41: FORK IN THE ROAD

(Words:434 )

* * *

"_Kurama"_

"_**Youko"**_

* * *

"I already told you, you _can't_!" Kagome huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Considering the situation, Kurama averted his eyes from staring, but ended up getting an eyeful as his counterpart took control momentarily to stare at his girlfriend's chest.

"_Dammit, Youko, this isn't the time!"_ he hissed, thanking the god's that he had become an expert at ignoring the instinct to blush at a young age. It came in handy when you had a perverted kitsune making lewd comments in your mind.

"_**C'mon, red, even you can appreciate our girl's assets,"**_the silver haired male purred. _**"Think of how they'd look wearing nothing but—"**_

"_No."_ Clenching his jaw and returning to the task at hand, Kurama let his golden-green eyes flash at the younger girl. "I'm coming, and that's that," he growled, copying her stubborn stance and tilting his chin up.

Noticing the motion and recognizing it as the red-haired man's determination, she switched tactics. "But Kurama, you have _so _much to do here," she cooed, taking a step back towards the well.

"Jump in and I'll just follow you."

"Think of how put out Koenma sama will be, once he learns his best detective has disappeared," she said. Her voice took on a distinctly whiny tone. "And your mother! It'll worry her sick if you suddenly stop calling her for weeks on end!"

"Koenma has already agreed to my traveling with you, and mother believes I am going on an extended business trip."

"Wha—b-but, Kurama, you don't—"

"I'm coming."

The girl slumped, leaning against the lip of the well. "Why do you wanna come with me so bad, anyway?"

"Why do you persist on refusing to let me come?" the red-head shot back, tilting his head at her curiously.

"…Once you see how dangerous it is there, you'll never let me go back by myself," the girl murmured. She fidgeted under his intense stare, picking at a loose sliver of wood on the well. While beautiful, sometimes his emerald eyes could really unnerve her.

"I promise that the next time you return to the sengoku jidai, I will not accompany you."

Blinking, she said, "Really?"

"Really."

"Do you promise?"

"Promise." He couldn't help but grin at her almost childish methods, linking his hand with hers. "Shall we, Ka-go-me?"

Planting an obnoxiously loud kiss on his check just to annoy him, she nodded. "Last one there's an imp!" Giggling, she threw herself into the darkness, dragging a chuckling red-head with her, before being swallowed by white-blue sparks.

* * *

**I'd like to thank you all for your wonderful reviews, and would like to ask you to continue to read and review! You're all my inspiration! (Excuse the possible cheesy-ness of this message...) Also, if any of you have an idea of a cute scene you'd like to see, drop by and tell me. I've been running out of ideas lately, which has led to less updates...so, please, help my ditsy mind brain-storm some new ideas! Though, please be warned that even if you do give me an idea, it may not be able to incorporated into my list, so it has nothing to do with you but rather if it fits or not. Thankies, and please review! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


	42. Start

THEME 42: START

(Words: 787)

_Kagome_

* * *

The day had started off normal enough. They woke up at the break of dawn, due to the grumblings of an irate hanyou, and trekked off from the village, waving goodbye to Kaede. Shippo jumped back and forth from speaking the human tongue to his own species' language, a series of yips and chirps that were a few octaves higher than normal in his excitement. Kagome was thoroughly amused when her boyfriend responded in kind, the growls and enthusiastic responses on a much lower frequency. _What I wouldn't give for a video camera right now! _

Just as they were stopping for lunch beneath the shade of a large oak tree, a series of squawking brought their eyes to the edge of the forest. "Rin, you impudent child, get _back _here!"

Kurama blinked as a small girl, perhaps ten or so, came running up to their group with a beaming smile. She wore a peach and orange checkered kimono that flowed down to her calf, interspersed with circular designs. With black hair, brown eyes, and the largest, toothiest grin he had ever seen, she reminded Kurama eerily of the miko standing next to him.

"Kagome! Rin is so happy to see you!" the girl beamed, wrapping her arms as tightly around Kagome's legs as her little arms allowed.

"Long time no see," the miko grinned. She pried the arms from around her legs, dropping to her knees, and properly hugged the young girl. "My, you've gotten bigger!"

The girl giggled, the ponytail on top of her head bobbing. "You say that _every _time you see Rin, Kagome!" She peeked over the scantily clad teenager's shoulder, looking curiously up at her red-headed companion. "Who is that, Kagome? Rin hasn't met him."

Taking his cue, Kurama crouched on the balls of his feet, giving her his best grin. "Hello. I'm Kurama. It's very nice to meet you, Rin."

"Are you a demon?" The girl looked him up and down, pursing her lips when she saw nothing out of the ordinary than his startling hair color and emerald eyes.

"I'm a kitsune," the red-head answered. Reaching into the depths of his hair, he pulled out a small seed, briefly caused it to glow with his energy, and flourished an awkward half bow as he handed her a bright red rose.

Deeming the male acceptable due to his obvious skill at making pretty flowers, Rin grinned, skipped over to his side, and tackled him in a tight hug. "Ne, is he your betrothed, Kagome? I like him," the girl chirped. The blushes on both the teens faces were ignored as another figure stepped into the clearing.

"Rin, you trust too easily."

The silky voice was easily recognizable. Rin happily trotted to the tall man's side, somehow missing the tense air around the adults. Kurama slid gracefully to his full height, giving the silver haired man a carefully neutral smile.

"Lord of the West, what a surprise," he murmured, interrupting the spluttering hanyou. He took Kagome's hand in his, noticing, almost smugly, that amber eyes took in the action curiously. "To what do we owe the honor?"

Sesshomaru did not answer at first. "Hnn. You reek of human, yet you are not. What are you?" he demanded, voice clipped.

Withholding the instinct to roll his eyes, Kurama gave him a slight bow of the head. "I am a kitsune avatar, Lord Sesshomaru."

Delicate silver eyebrows rose, and he looked at a fidgeting Kagome. "Another kitsune, miko? You have quite the collection of teammates already."

"I just can't seem to help myself!" the girl chirped. Sango and Miroku looked at one another, shrugged, and turned back to the action. The somewhat tense staring match between two silver haired dogs, which had started as soon as Kagome had finished speaking, was interrupted when Rin tugged on her caretakers pelt.

"Lord Sesshomaru, may Rin stay to play with Kagome and the others? I haven't seen them for so very long!"

Jaken immediately puffed out his chest, cheeks turning an alarming shade of red against his green skin, squawking, "We haven't time for such foolish—"

"You may stay until I return."

"—things. But, milord! Isn't leaving Rin in their care, with such a stranger, dangerous?" The imp paled at the icy glare his master bestowed upon him, gulping loudly enough that even the humans could hear.

"You are questioning me, Jaken?"

"N-no, of course not, milord! I was simply—" He broke off with a troubled squawk, muttering apologies as he double timed it after his retreating Lord.

Kagome grinned up at the red-head, reaching forward to give him a peck on the cheek. "That was a good start!"

* * *

**This chapter was born mostly out of boredom and procrastination on my homework. (And let's not forget the one who suggested the meeting: Cosmic-Lover. Thank you for the idea!) Hope you liked it, please don't forget to review! -Master of all Perv's, out!**


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